DUBLIN, Sept 15 - Tiger Woods, who will make his fifth Ryder Cup appearance for the U.S. next week, knows the Palmer Course at the hosting K Club in Straffan, Ireland as well as most of the Europeans.

The world number one has been a regular visitor to the County Kildare layout in recent years, playing practice rounds there along with doing a bit of fishing in his build-up to the British Open.

Woods and some of his peers have been speaking about what to expect from the lush par-72 Palmer Course for the September 22-24 matches:

Woods: "The golf course is pretty easy to learn; it's not real tricky. It's hard to see the bottom of the cups on a couple holes and there are a couple of blind tee shots. We all hit the ball about the same. Whoever putts the best will win the Cup."

U.S. team captain Tom Lehman, a veteran of three Ryder Cups as a player: "It is a good driving course. With the rough up the way that it is, you need to put the ball in the fairway. The greens are somewhat unique, there is a lot of personality to them. The challenge is there and the firmer it gets the harder it is going to become."

Ireland's Paul McGinley, who holed the winning putt for Europe in the 2002 Ryder Cup at the Belfry in central England: "It will be great. The course has matured with age, much like a fine wine, and is getting in better and better condition every year. It will be something everyone in Ireland is going to be proud of. Those three final holes now having water in play will be fantastic for match play. The finishing stretch down the (River) Liffey will be nerve tingling."

The 7,335-yard Palmer Course has water in play on 13 of its 18 holes.

European team captain Ian Woosnam, who tasted victory at four of his eight Ryder Cups as a player: "This is just about as good as it gets for match play golf and it is going to be a brilliant setting for the Ryder Cup. Subtle changes have been made to the course especially around the greens, where mown humps and hollows will allow for more creative chipping and putting as (designer) Arnold (Palmer) originally intended. It will be a supreme test."