The K Club: The pro's view

John McHenry, The K Club director of golf, takes Paul Trow on a tour of the Ryder Cup battleground

The players can expect a rigorous challenge at a course which was upgraded late last year by its designer, Arnold Palmer. "The K Club has become an even better, more testing course," he said. "I don't think it is extremely long by today's standards, but there are some really great holes that will make the matches very interesting."

The order of the holes has also been changed. The nines have been switched with the exception of the finishing holes on each side, meaning that holes 10-17 are now 1-8 followed by the original ninth, and holes 1-8 are now 10-17, followed by the original 18th.

This sets up a finish of a difficult par-four between two par-fives. "It's a very strong finish," Palmer said. "You will have to take risks to really use the par-fives."

Set on the banks of the River Liffey, the Palmer Course is a glorious parkland creation with an abundance of mature trees and many spectacular views.

Hole No 1 (normally 10th)

Bohereen Road

Par 4, 418 yards

Ideal line is down rightover big pines. Should leave short-iron over jutting water hazard and mound to generous, exposed green. Bunker right gathers most pushed approach shots.

Arnold Palmer alteration: Fairway bunkers added on left.

Hole No 2 (11th)

The Tunnel

Par 4, 413 yards

Line is just inside cluster of trees on right to uphill fairway. Anything left will catch bunker. Due to elevation, you need to take enough club for second shot. There is also a ridge in green which falls away to left.

AP alteration: Lengthened, fairway bunker added on left, greenside bunker enlarged.

Hole No 3 (12th)

The Island Beach

Par 3, 170 yards

Wind is generally against, which makes club selection tricky. Green has a pronounced ridge, is only 15 yards from front to back, and is protected by water and sand at front and a particularly deep back bunker.

Hole No 4 (13th)

Arnold's Pick

Par 5, 568 yards

Ideal line is left as ground slopes to right. With tall trees protecting right of green, best chance to attack is from left. Raised green is surrounded by bunkers.

AP alteration: Added a few yards.

Hole No 5 (14th)

Square Meadow

Par 4, 440 yards

Start of stretch of three difficult holes. Uphill, it plays long into wind. Ideal drive is blind over mound on left. All but back right-hand corner of green is obscured by big mound.

AP alteration: Lengthened slightly.

Hole No 6 (15th)

The Liffey Stream

Par 4, 478 yards

Line from elevated tee is left offairway, which slopes to right. Then hit long-iron from hanging lie to green protected by stream running diagonally from back left to front right.

AP alteration: Lengthened slightly, trees added on right of fairway.

Hole No 7 (16th)

Michael's Favourite

Par 4, 430 yards

New tee has made this much tougher, especially on second shot, which now requires mid-iron instead of wedge. In some respects the most intimidating hole, with water both right and left of fairway and virtually surrounding green.

AP alteration: Added 37 yards.

Hole No 8 (17th)

Mayfly Corner

Par 3, 173 yards

Exquisite short hole by Liffey with backdrop of trees. Contour of green is left to right, while prevailing wind is right to left. Players favour left because there is only watery grave to right.

Hole No 9 (9th)

The Eye Of The Needle

Par 4, 461 yards

Long tee-shot required to avoid chestnut tree in middle of fairway. Ideal angle for approach is from left to have full view of green, which slopes away. Anything right puts bunkers and mounds in play.

Hole No 10 (1st)

Mick Holly

Par 5, 584 yards

Best line is down left, though this flirts with out of bounds. Drive down right means obscured view for second shot, which goes downhill to narrow gap between two large bunkers at front of green.

Hole No 11 (2nd)

Lily Pond

Par 4, 415 yards

Water on left is no issue and ideal line is over trees beyond it. Big mistake is to go into bunker on right. Fairway doglegs right to left and runs downhill towards small green sloping to water on left.

AP alteration: Added 15 yards.

Hole No 12 (3rd)

The Domain

Par 3, 182 yards

Club selection is important as back half of green slopes away and left to water and deep back bunker. Local knowledge helps due to swirling wind. Huge trap on right.

AP alteration: Lowered green, moved it closer to pond on left, added a tier in the middle of it.

Hole No 13 (4th)

Laurel Heaven

Par 4, 428 yards

A bite-off-as-much-as-you-dare hole. Best line is left, over copse of high trees, though most favour right side for clear view of green, which is guarded by sand left and water right and slopes left to right.

AP alteration: Added 30 yards, renovated bunker beside green.

Hole No 14 (5th)

Church Fields

Par 3, 213 yards

Best line is from left as contour feeds ball right and back. Ditch parallel to left of green not in play. Waterfall and church ruins in background make an attractive hole.

AP alteration: Deepened and enlarged bunker at the green.

Hole No 15 (6th)

Pheasant Run

Par 4, 446 yards

Trees down left of fairway, so ideal drive is left with slight fade towards water up right side. Second shot is uphill to green behind collection of grassy hummocks. Green is big but slopes sharply front to back.

Hole No 17 (8th)

Half Moon

Par 4, 424 yards

Where Thomas Bjorn pull-hooked three tee-shots into Liffey on his way to an 11 in final round of 2005 European Open. Tall trees on right mean tee points towards Liffey, so an ideal drive is down that line with fade.

AP alteration: Lengthened, trees added on right, green flattened to soften slope towards water.