Women's squad to train in sun

In a positive development aimed at ending a barren spell in international team golf, the Irish Ladies' Golf Union has announced a 12-strong squad - a mix of emerging young talent with established players - for warm-weather training at Praia D'el Rey, outside Lisbon, from March 25th-April 1st.

Ireland haven't won the Home International championship since 1986 and it is hoped this more intense approach to coaching will help to end that particular statistic. There are a number of notable absentees from the travelling party, principally Alison Coffey, who is a member of the Britain and Ireland squad for the Curtis Cup at Ganton this summer, Hazel Kavanagh, the reigning Irish strokeplay champion, and Curtis Cup player Eileen Rose Power.

However, Claire Coughlan, winner of the Irish Close last season, heads a strong teenage contingent in a squad which also includes Susie O'Brien, who is also on the Curtis Cup training panel. The full squad is: Coughlan (Cork), O'Brien (Milltown), Elaine Dowdall (Wexford and UCD), Martina Gillen (Beaverstown), Gemma Hegarty (Greencastle), Sinead Keane (Curragh), Emma Dickson (Royal Co Down), Jenny Gannon (Co Louth), Fiona Healy (Headfort), Michelle Holmes (Enniscrone), Una Marsden (Tullamore) and Deirdre Smith (Co Louth).

Another sign of the governing body's commitment to coaching is that the senior panel had three training weekends at Limerick County over the winter period in addition to fitness assessments at the NCTC in Limerick, while the junior panel (which consists of 24 girls, ranging in age from 12 to 17) had three sessions under the instruction of the Murphy/ Sweeney Academy.

Apart from such coaching sessions, the ILGU have selected a strong team for the first major women's amateur tournament of the season, the Helen Holm Scottish Open at Royal Troon on April 29th-30th. Coffey, a runner-up in the championship last year, O'Brien, Kavanagh, Coughlan, Healy, Smith and Pamela Murphy (The Island) have all been selected and, for Coffey and O'Brien, it will be an opportunity to further cement their claims for Curtis Cup selection.

Meanwhile, the Golfing Union of Ireland has decided to send a three-man team to the European Seniors (Over 50s) Team and Individual Championships in La Manga on June 15th-17th.