three-member women's team at the World Amateur Golf Team Championships for the Santo Espirito trophy, which begins today at the Capilano Golf Club in Vancouver, Canada.

Two years ago in Christchurch, New Zealand, the team of Shirley Wildi, Madeline Joell and Kim Marshall could only manage a 23rd placing out of 26 countries.

This year, in the tournament Bermuda had been hoping to host at Mid Ocean Club, there is expected to be about 32 teams competing. The likes of the United States, the defending champions, 1990 runners-up New Zealand, Britain, Japan and Australia are expected to be the main contenders for the top prize.

Hosts Canada may not even reach the first tee because of pending legal action taken against the Canadian Golf Association by one of their players who apparently qualified for the team but was not chosen.

Bermuda will retain two-thirds of the team, which competed in New Zealand, with Judithanne Astwood replacing Shirley Wildi. Both Joell and Marshall, who has interrupted her studies briefly at Wake Forest to represent her country, will have learned a great deal from their experience in New Zealand while Astwood has competed in four world championships, in the United States in 1980, Switzerland in 1982, Venezuela in 1986 and Sweden in 1988.

Joell represented Bermuda in the Santo Espirito trophy in 1988 and '90 while this will be Marshall's second participation in the tournament, which features the top amateurs from around the world. She is on a golf scholarship at Wake Forest.

The Bermuda team arrived in Vancouver on the weekend and one of the first things they noticed during practice sessions on Sunday and Monday was the length of the course.

"Some of the yardage is identical to the men's,'' explained Astwood this week. "We're actually playing from the men's markers. The men's yardage is 6,364, which isn't too much different from the women.'' The par for the women is 72 while for the men it is 70.

"We're just waiting for the tournament to start,'' Astwood said of today's opening round.

"The course is very narrow and well sand-trapped and all of us, even the other girls, have been in a lot of traps.'' Non-playing captain Glenda Todd admits it is going to be a real challenge adjusting to the course, which is a half-hour's bus ride from their hotel.

"The course is long and quite a few of the other countries are commenting about it,'' Todd said.

Added Astwood: "All of us are hitting the ball good. Madeline and I got a bit tired today because of the heat. The greens are drying out and are a lot faster. If we can make some putts we can score better. There are a lot of breaks in the greens, there's nothing flat about them.'' The women will play four rounds, from today through to Saturday, with the best two scores from each team to count.

Bermuda's men's team, comprising of Robert Vallis, Glenn Simmons, Jack Wahl, Arthur Jones and non-playing captain Brendan (Bees) Ingham, leave this weekend for the men's tournament for the Eisenhower Cup, which starts next week. The men will be playing at both the Capilano and Marine Drive courses.

Wahl represented Bermuda in the 1986 tournament in Venezuela and again in '90 in New Zealand while Vallis competed in New Zealand. Both Simmons and Jones are newcomers to the World Amateurs though Ingham is vastly experienced, having represented Bermuda on eight occasions in the Eisenhower Cup between 1964 and '80.

Jones represented Welsh Universities in 1976 and '77. Bermuda's men finished 27th out of 33 teams in the last tournament, which was won by Sweden who led from start to finish.

KIM MARSHALL MADELINE JOELL JUDITHANNE ASTWOOD.