SUNNINGDALE, England — Advice, especially good advice, is always useful when playing golf on unfamiliar terrain or in unfamiliar conditions. Both sides of the Curtis Cup at Sunningdale are all too aware of that truism, drawing on the players’ experience ahead of the 43rd meeting between the best women’s amateurs from Great Britain and Ireland and those from the United States.

For visitors, the most useful insights come from the close-knit team. With seven of the eight players being Curtis Cup rookies, it goes without saying that the young Americans rely heavily on their non-playing captain, Meghan Stasi. As Meghan Bolger, Stasi was a member of the victorious U.S. team at St. Andrews in 2008. But soon-to-be three-time Curtis Cup player Rachel Kuehn (whose mother Brenda played for the U.S. in 1996 and 1998) is another useful sounding board.

“We turn to (Kuehn) with all our questions, as he has already played three games himself,” says teammate Megan Schofill. “It’s great that Rachel gives us this trust and tells us exactly how it will be and what to expect.”

As for the home team, some big names have been part of the build-up to a first win in the biennial competition since 2016. Two weeks ago, Sunningdale member and former European Ryder Cup captain Sam Torrance spent a day with the team. Breakfast on the eve of the matches was taken with former US Open winner Justin Rose, another Sunningdale member, and there was time for a final pep talk in the evening from another former Ryder Cup captain, Colin Montgomerie.

“I know how the girls feel,” Rose said as she watched the practice round on Thursday. “These team competitions are different even from the high-level competitions they compete in as individuals. They feel different. There will be a lot of people here. There will be a lot of energy. So any tips on what to look out for can be helpful. The most important thing is to just enjoy it.”

There is one thing the GB&I team wants to avoid, however: the result of a story that Rose told about himself. As a 17-year-old, the Englishman was part of the 1997 Walker Cup team at Quaker Ridge in New York. On the first morning, he hit the first tee shot in the second foursome match. And he hit it out of bounds.

“I hope the girls all do better than me,” he said with a smile. “I’m sure they will. The team seems relaxed and everyone is in a great position. The good thing about match play, of course, is that I only lost that one hole before I could move on.”

One final thing on the subject of advice. Even some of those who work as consultants to the British and Irish teams seek advice. The caddies for both teams are locals, all of whom are intimately familiar with the idiosyncrasies of the Sunningdale course. However, none of them spend too much of their working lives carrying the bags of players who are doing as well as their employers this week. That’s what prompted Great Britain and Ireland vice-captain Karen Stupples to call for a “caddy chat” on the eve of the matches. The aim is to make sure everyone is on the same page about the special characteristics, needs and wants of golfers at this elite level.

The game may still be amateurish, but the approach of both sides is anything but professional.