Carrickmines tennis club proudly flung open its doors this week to show the Irish public its serious new make-over. The Wilson family originally purchased the Norwegian pavilion at the great exhibition of 1907 in Herbert Park and turned it into what was the old clubhouse.

That structure served as the clubhouse until last year when the members decided to reluctantly demolish it in the name of progress. Despite having an old-world charm, the original wooden building was becoming a little dog-eared.

The redesigned club now has 18 courts, which is the biggest number of courts to be associated with any club in Ireland. But the members have had to dig deep with the venture costing over £3 million to complete.

This week's competition, which includes 14 events and involves up to 600 competitors, is the largest single-venue tennis tournament in Ireland. And by the looks of it, one of the most luxurious.