Statistics can either frighten, or act as proof that something is being done right. When it comes to putting bums on seats, to use a rather indelicate American analogy, those involved in bringing golfing tourists to Ireland are obviously doing something right: from a situation in 1988 where 52,000 visitors came to these shores to play golf, that figure has rocketed to an estimated 240,000 this year.

Not only that, but Damien Ryan, the director of golf with Bord Failte, anticipates that the numbers will have reached 450,000 by the time the Ryder Cup takes place at The K Club in 2005. And, yet, some voices in the industry wonder if the country's golf courses can cope with such levels, especially given a domestic demand that is also increasing with an ever-growing number of Irish people taking up the sport.

Such fears are backed-up somewhat by what Alan Reardon, the secretary-manager at Lahinch Golf Club and deputy chairman of SWING which is the umbrella group for promoting golf in the South West. He says that "saturation levels" have been reached in terms of the numbers wanting to play the old, traditional courses. "We've reached saturation point for the last four years," admitted Reardon, who pointed out that all available tee-times on the old course are booked solid until the end of October. And have been for some time.

The solution, in the eyes of Bord Failte, who are set to spend over £2 million over the next three years in marketing Ireland as the prime golfing destination (in 1999, Ireland won the International Destination of the Year in the trade awards), and who are also heavily involved in promoting the 2005 Ryder Cup, is to attract golfing tourists to less-populated areas, particularly in the West.

Indeed, a new Irish Tourist Board-led media campaign - with extensive advertising on Fox TV and the Golf Channel in the United States, as well as in print publications - will shortly be launched and is aimed at enticing tourists to play courses, particularly in the West, other than the established courses.

"We're concerned, although it is a pleasant concern, that many visitors are finding it difficult to get on to our most prestigious courses," said Ryan. "What we are attempting to do with this new campaign is to make them aware that there are some magnificent courses elsewhere where they can savour the best of Irish golf.

"Most of the emphasis will be on courses in the West, but we are not neglecting other regions either. The logistics of the matter is that we have to spread the gospel, to let them know that the entire country can offer them tremendous golf courses."

One of those at the cutting edge of the industry is Marty Carr, managing director of Carr Golf and Corporate Travel. He has seen a dramatic change, especially in the past decade. And, from a situation where it was possible to facilitate most visitors with tee-times on what are perceived as the top courses, Carr has little doubt that "demand exceeds supply" nowadays. "We have got to the stage now where demand is insatiable," insisted Carr.

Dealing mainly with tourists from the top-end of the market (90 per cent of them from the United States), where money is often not an object, Carr, who is secretary of the Irish Golf Tour Operators Association, believes that most of his clients are "very much links orientated", with the South-West ring (Ballybunion, Waterville and Lahinch) among the prime choices. The Old Head has also managed to break into that level of demand along with the likes of Portmarnock, Royal Co Down and Royal Portrush.

"You also have courses like Baltray and The Island which, in the past, were deemed secrets, but now are extremely popular," said Carr, who estimates that many of his clients will only include one parkland course on their tour and insist that the rest are links. Even so, most of the new parkland developments which came on stream in the early part of the 1990s are also trading to full time-sheets.

However, Carr points out that a problem which many tour operators have is securing tee-times on the old, traditional links courses which is where most visitors want to play.

Carr explained: "It's a big problem. You have a situation where most of the co-op courses, or members-owned courses, won't make tee-times available until late in the year or early next year. But we've already got tourists trying to plan out their itineraries. In contrast, if you wanted to book a round in Pebble Beach for 2004, you can do it now. So, that is something that is going to have to be addressed."

How it will be addressed is another matter. A national forum on the whole golf tourism business is due to be held later this year, but Reardon makes the point, a valid one, that courses like Lahinch are member-owned and that the members must be facilitated. "We've been turning green fees away (in Lahinch) for the past five years, a period when the whole golf tourism sector has just boomed. It is terrible to be turning people away - I'd estimate upwards of 6,000 this year alone - but we simply don't have any choice in the matter," he explained.

Reardon added: "We've reached saturation point and we have to look after our members. In fact, we're actually looking at ways to ease pressure on the course and also to allocate more members time." That could well see a reduction in the 15,700 rounds that were permitted on the old course in the past year.

Whether the proposed strategy of tempting golf tourists away from the traditional destinations will work is one which Reardon, for one, wonders about. "It's a client driven demand and I know that a lot of American golfers don't want to come here to play the lesser known courses . . . they want to play the Portmarnocks, Royal Co Downs, Lahinchs, Watervilles and Ballybunions. From our own perspective, however, I do believe that the development of the new course in Doonbeg will ease some of the pressure on us and will also complement us."

So, no matter what way you look, all the evidence is that golfers are coming to these shores in ever-increasing numbers: all sectors are benefitting, including clubs, hotels and those involved in the transport industry.

One particularly intriguing offshoot of the increased numbers of golfing visitors is that the number of helicopters catering for the top-end of the market has increased from a handful 10 years ago to over 40 now.

Gerry Creedon of Gaelic Helicopters, based in Mallow, believes that there are a number of factors contributing to the demand from overseas golfers to be transported from course-to-course in a helicopter. "Obviously, the dollar is very strong against the punt, so that is very much in favour of the Americans. But, mainly, the volume of traffic on the roads and the condition of roads in certain parts of the country means that many just don't want that extra hassle."

For instance, Creedon - who says that transporting golfers is now a "very significant" part of his business, which also includes general charter - can take four golfers (plus their clubs, unless the passengers are of a particularly large physique) from The Old Head to Waterville in approximately 45 minutes, whereas a trip by road would take four hours.

One thing which everyone appears to agree on is that nobody knows where the growth will end. "It's mind-boggling what has happened in the last three or four years," said Carr. "I think Bord Failte deserve a lot of credit for what has been achieved. The demand for golf is huge and the likes of new developments such as Carton Demense and Hog's Head in Kerry are really badly needed."

Bord Failte, for their part, don't intend to let up on all the good work of the past decade or so. Apart from the new advertising campaign based mainly at the United States - the British market is already hugely successful, with an estimated 60 per cent of all golfing tourists coming from that source - the board will also have stands at 16 European Tour events, starting next month, which will run through the upcoming Ryder Cup points qualifying campaign.

"We're now, unquestionably, the number one destination," insisted Ryan. With further anticipated growth, the challenge, now, however, is to ensure that demand can be met. That's the final ultimatum.

"We're concerned, although it is a pleasant concern, that many visitors are finding it difficult to get on to our most prestigious courses. What we are attempting to do with this new campaign is to make them aware that there are some magnificent courses elsewhere where they can savour the best of Irish golf."

- Damien Ryan, director of golf with Bord Failte.