Dempsey is planning to transfer his Dublin salon Zoo lock, stock and barrel from its city headquarters to the K Club to cater for the American Gwags, the wives and girlfriends of the golfers. The salon has been contracted by the K Club to ensure that the 33-strong American female entourage have hair stylists at their beck and call for the duration of the event. Zoo will close its Dublin salon for three days during the Ryder Cup, starting on the Tuesday when American team captain Tom Lehman's wife Melissa will make a presentation to the winner of the Shelbourne Hotel Goffs Million, Europe's richest race for two-year-olds.

"We are building a salon in the K Club's aerobics centre, moving everything down, " Dempsey said. "It's fairly rock 'n' roll until Thursday or Friday when the guys won't be going out."

Dempsey, who in the past has tended the locks of luminaries including actors Alicia Silverstone and George Clooney and supermodel Heidi Klum, said he and his team of 10 stylists expect to be kept busy. "It's a lot of maintenance."

So whose hair is he looking forward to coiffing? "Everyone keeps asking me what I think of Tiger Woods' wife. She is beautiful, and she has an identical twin so it will be interesting to see her as well." He is also looking forward to grooming David Toms' wife Sonya, who he notes was voted "best looking bride" on the American team at the last Ryder Cup. The attraction? "The glory of looking after these beauties."

The K Club has also contracted in make-up artists Boylan & Balfe to keep the Gwags prettified.