It looks as though businessman Michael Smurfit is hoping to cash in on the property boom in Kildare by building more houses in the grounds of his K Club at Straffan. His friend and architect, Brian O'Halloran, has lodged an application for 20 villas on the edge of the 18-hole golf course. The owners of the handful of houses already built - valued at well over half a million pounds each - may not be too happy to see a whole swathe of houses on their doorsteps.

Meanwhile, the indefatigable Phil Monaghan is also cashing in on the golfing mania by setting aside part of his Somerton estate near Castleknock for an 18-hole golf course and a 180-bedroom hotel. Fingal planners have just given the green light for the development to a company called Ping Golf Equipment.