Which is partly why normally pampered corporate hospitality guests are being asked to produce passport information in advance and produce them on the day as if they're queuing for US immigration.

"I've never experienced anything like it, " said Tim Shaw, European sales director of the Ryder Cup and the PGA European Tour.

The number of companies seeking to tie themselves to the biggest sporting event ever to be staged in Ireland has been very high.

"We've had about 10 times as much legal activity this year as we did in the Belfry in 2002, " said Shaw.

Companies seeking to get a bit of reflected glory from the action at the K Club range from the cheeky radio-spot declaration by Fyffes that its bananas are the unofficial sponsor of the Ryder Cup to a high-profile scandal involving UK-based Jardine Sports Ltd. Some 20 top Irish companies were thought to have handed over up to 2m to the British firm, which continued to sell packages and promise corporate tickets to the event for 1,000 each after it had its contract terminated by the Ryder Cup.

It is understood that, to protect the image of the Ryder Cup, several companies that thought they had purchased tickets through that vendor were eventually accommodated.

But last week Shaw warned that more companies were apparently trying to pass themselves off as legitimate vendors of corporate hospitality packages, including tickets to the event.

"We've had to be very rigorous in the way we've monitored and managed these since they've arisen, " said Shaw. "Our concern is to protect the rights of sponsors who are officially associated with the event. Of particular concern is the fact that we are still aware of some unofficial hospitality packages out in the marketplace, which we know, through our crosschecking systems, don't carry valid ticket offerings. A lot of innocent purchasers of these packages will be left frustrated due to an invalid or forged ticket."

Passports will be required for most of those who want to attend to use their tickets on the day, which may leave a lot of frustrated ticket-holders outside the gates.

Shaw said sponsors and spectators have not complained so far about the stringent security measures, which he said are very similar to those used at this year's World Cup in Germany.

In fact Germany, as the soccer tournament's host country, scored so high in the estimation of visiting media and fans last summer that some Irish officials will be nervous at the inevitable comparisons. Like if there's a taxi strike, for example.

The attention doesn't worry Bord Bia's Aiden Cotter, however. Bord Bia replaced Aer Lingus five years ago as one of the principal sponsors of the event, along with AIB and Waterford Crystal. Ireland's food tsar has in fact parlayed the sponsorship into an opportunity for his member companies to get worldwide exposure.

"There's great synergy with the Ryder Cup. It's a great fit for us working in an industry that exports to 170 countries around the world, with 80% of the 7.5bn in exports going to Europe and the United States."

The importance of the corporate hospitality packages to sponsors is brought home as well by the experience of Bord Bia. Some 40 Irish companies in the Irish food and drink sectors have used corporate hospitality to lure more than 300 overseas buyers for companies representing some 64bn in buying power as part of global supply chains. It will be a sales opportunity like no other.

Aer Lingus, in fact, may be green with envy and frustration at having dropped out of a primary sponsorship role, just as it is flogging itself to financial institutions whose employees are over-represented among the world's 60 million golfers and will help make up a disproportionate share of viewers among the 750 million homes which will be able to view the event on global television. The airline did, however, come to an agreement earlier this year to return in a smaller sponsorship role, carrying the cup itself and several European team players on a flight to Ireland tomorrow.

But Shaw said the addition of Bord Bia made a big contribution to the event.

"We wanted to showcase the best of Ireland at the dinner on Wednesday and opening ceremonies on Thursday, and that inevitably means food and drink and hospitality."

Some 50,000 plated meals will be served during the week, featuring the finest Irish fare. The menus themselves, with everything from farmhouse cheeses to airdried beef and lamb, have been the subject of salivating media coverage.

Shaw spoke last week at Bord Bia's brand forum, telling the story of how the Ryder Cup and PGA European Tour have grown as international brands.

He said the Ryder Cup made a profit of almost 15m in 2002 and expected to exceed that comfortably in 2006. The money generated helps fund the PGA in Ireland as well as the PGA European Tour.