TWELVE of Ireland's top women golfers will jet out on Saturday to Aroeira Golf Club, near Lisbon, for a week of intensive warm weather practice under the penetrating gazes of Claire Dowling, the former Curtis Cup star and five times Irish champion, and the ILGU's national coach Howard Bennett.

The early season training week in Portugal is seen as an integral part of the ILGU's quest to ensure teams are adequately prepared for international competition, particularly given that the Home Inter nationals are scheduled for Lahinch this year.

"Although other countries have prepared in the summer for a number of years, we only started last year and found it immensely beneficial," said Dowling. "I'd even suggest that this particular week is the equivalent of, a month's work because the girls practice all day, every day, and have access to the best possible golfing facilities."

Interestingly, there is a strong element of youth in the selected travelling training, panel, and Dowling who is in her second year as Irish captain is convinced the stint in Portugal will act as a catalyst for a number of them to go on towards senior representative rumours this season. She cites the examples of Michelle McGreevy, who won five out of five matches in last year's Home Internationals, and Alison Coffey who won five out of six, as an indication that the youngsters have the ability.

A number of Ireland's more experienced campaigners (including Curtis Cup player Eileen Rose Power, Eavan Higgins, Lilian Behan, Laura Bolton and Ada O'Sullivan) are not part of this week's panel as youth is given its fling. Nevertheless a busy season lies ahead. Power and Irish champion Barbara Hackett are in the British and Irish squad for the Vagliano Trophy, which takes place at Halmstad in Sweden on July 26th-27th, and apart from the Home Internationals at Lahinch on September 10th-12th, the European Championships are also planned for July at Nodcenter in Finland.