It was early morning and Ollie Holohan was double-mowing the 15th green. With his national identity signalled by the Tricolor on the side of his baseball cap, he observed: "We're taking them down to sevensixtyfourths today: that's as low as they'll go."

This latest cut brought the greens to a Stimpmeter speed of 10.5, which was just what the organisers desired. The assistant head greenkeeper, who hails from Ballyragget, Co Kilkenny, was pleased with the fruits of two months' intensive preparation.

The creeping-bent greens are the same texture as Mount Juliet's, though appreciably smaller. "Their total size is no more than three acres, compared with five on a normal, championship course," added Holohan. But they still require the same attention, which explains why the greenkeeping staff was increased from 18 to 75 in the build-up to this week.