by James Clarke BBC News Online, Kent

Royal St George's is ready to welcome the world's top golfers

But a host of people for whom the Royal St George's course is home 52 weeks of the year will be equally keen for a successful outcome.

The club found out four years ago it would be hosting the 2003 Open - its first for 10 years.

Preparations have been going on since then - from redesigning the course to putting up scoreboards to arranging catering contracts.

Two of the men most deeply involved at the Kent course are club secretary Christopher Gabbey and Johnnie Brooks, chairman of the Royal St George's Championship Committee.

"Obviously it's a huge honour and we are very proud to host The Open," Mr Gabbey said.

"We believe we've got a spectacular course that provides the sort of challenge these players now need."

Christopher Gabbey and Johnnie Brooks - honoured to host the Open

This is the thirteenth time Royal St George's has hosted The Open.

In 1993 Australia's Greg Norman emerged as the winner after a dramatic final day in which he saw off the challenge of Nick Faldo and Bernhard Langer to pocket �100,000.

This year's winner will get seven times that amount.

Mr Brooks remembers the last Open at Sandwich fondly.

What we want is a really good competition with a bit of drama towards the end where it's tight. It's up to the players to do that. Club secretary Christopher Gabbey

He said: "My main memory from last time was wonderful golf by Greg Norman to win.

"It's perhaps the most memorable Open ever with several big names in contention.

"It was great fun and as far as I remember the weather was pretty favourable.

Tiger Woods effect

"Compared to now it was a relatively small affair, although still a massive event.

"I think it's down to the media basically, the coverage has changed beyond belief in 10 years.

"And I think another big change is the Tiger Woods effect - golf has grown in popularity, both for viewing and the number who play."

Mr Gabbey says the club has kept pace with the changes: "I think everyone's expectations have changed in the last few years - everybody expects a higher quality of facility and that is being provided.

Flashback to 2002

"The work never quite finishes, but preparations have gone extremely well this year.

"The weather has been quite fine so the damage you might get on the course, with lots of activity on it, has been minimal and the course is in spectacular condition.

"It just needs the finishing touches now, but there are lots of them."

In 1993 141,000 people came to Sandwich over the four days of the tournament and advance ticket sales are higher this year than they were then.

It is the first time tickets have been sold through the internet, which Mr Brooks describes as "a very successful venture" but people can turn up and pay on the day - the huge course has plenty of room for thousands of golf fans.

'Rather special event'

Royal St George's is the only club in the south of England currently on the exclusive register of courses hosting the Open - all the others are in the North West or Scotland - and Mr Brooks thinks that has added interest.

"It's the only course south of Liverpool and that very fact attracts people here.

"Some people do go to other courses but unless they are very keen supporters this is the only chance they get.

"It's their only opportunity to see Tiger Woods or Colin Montgomerie, or whoever their favourite is."

The huge temporary scoreboards are waiting to inform the world

Staff at Royal St George's will probably be as happy as the winner if the tournament gets to Sunday as a memorable roaring success .

Mr Brooks and Mr Gabbey both think the majority of fans would love to see a big name like Tiger Woods holding the famous Claret Jug trophy aloft after a dramatic final day.

But who knows what might happen?

As Mr Gabbey says: "If it was all little known players at the top of the leader board it would be like a Wimbledon final with two unseeded players instead of a Sampras or Agassi.

"But I think if a new name happened to pip a couple of top names by one shot, that would make for a very exciting and rather special event."

"What we want is a really good competition with a bit of drama towards the end where it's tight.