Gourd vines, like many members of the cucurbit family, are prolific growers. Give them room to grow and spread, or give them a fence or trellis to grow up. For the long club, dipper and bottle gourds, if you want straight fruits, it is best to grow them on a trellis or fence to allow the fruit to grow long and straight. Otherwise they may curl which can also be nice, depending on what you plan to use them for. Prepare the soil by adding organic matter prior to planting.
Compost works very well.
Try to have the area as weed free as possible, since it is hard to deal with weeds amongst the prolific vines. Many people prefer to plant gourds like pumpkins and watermelons, in hills, with several seeds per hill. You would need to thin them back to two or three plants per hill after germination. Water is essential to good production, especially when it gets so hot and dry. Mulching is highly encouraged for several reasons.