Irish international Deirdre Smith took a big gamble last November when she opened a shop to cater specifically for female golfers but business has been good and she can look forward to the summer season with confidence on and off the course.

"The Lady Golfer" is located in the grounds of the Paddock Wood Golf Centre near Dundalk but has drawn clientele from Cork to Donegal plus many from Northern Ireland. "The response has been superb and I'm very pleased with the way it went over the winter", says Smith. "There is definitely a market for this."

Running the business is time consuming but Smith has high hopes of retaining her international status having debuted in last year's Home Internationals.