Those bogey September prices
Staying over
Private homes available to rent on www.tourrentals.com range from €6,640 for a five-bedroom house in Dunboyne, Co Meath to €68,350 for a luxury five-bedroom house half-a-mile from the K Club.
"People should expect to pay €1,000 to €2,000 per bedroom, depending on the luxury," says Tour Rentals director Gerry B Hughes.
"Ideally the houses are located within 30 minutes of the K Club but if they're offering good value they can be up to an hour away."
Dream Ireland holiday homes has last-minute availability at the newly-completed Highfield Golf Lodges in Carbury, Co Kildare. The lodges sleep six, are about 40 minutes from the K Club and are available from September 14th to 23rd at €1,750 per cabin, which includes complimentary use of Highfield golf course.
Getting there
To rent a car from Dublin Airport from September 21st to 26th costs €874.89 for a Mercedes E200 automatic from Argus car rentals. The same car is available for the same period a week later at €511.12. A Ford Mondeo 2.0 automatic costs €539 from Hertz car rentals for the five days, and is available for €320 the following week. Celtic Helicopters, which is based in Dublin airport, is charging €7,500 for sole use of a four-seater helicopter for five hours - the minimum amount of time that its helicopters can be rented for use during the Ryder Cup. A four-seater helicopter for five hours the following month costs €6,250, excluding additional costs such as refuelling and landing fees.
Eating out
Thornton's Michelin star restaurant in the Fitzwilliam Hotel on St Stephen's Green, Dublin is offering a special eight-course menu at €180 for the duration of the tournament.
Restaurant Patrick Guilbaud at the Merrion Hotel, Dublin (two Michelin stars) has yet to finalise a small, á la carte menu for the occasion. However, a non-refundable deposit of €200 per person is required with every booking; this will be deducted from the bill at the end of the meal.
Barberstown Castle in Straffan, Co Kildare, has a seven-course meal for €120 per person for a minimum table of 10, and is almost fully booked.
Where to play
Palmerstown House golf club, Co Kildare, is offering a round of golf from €180 during the Ryder Cup, compared with the normal weekend rate of €165. "We are busy already, with a lot of bookings from Americans interested in playing," says a spokesman for the club. The Royal Dublin Golf Club on North Bull Island, where a round will cost €170, is booked out from September 21st to 23rd. The club normally charges €150 for a round at weekends.
Hélène Hofman