WELL-heeled Wirral home-owners are set to hit the jackpot as they're offered vast amounts of cash to let their houses during the Open Golf Championship.

Reports suggest that premier homeowners on Meols Drive in Hoylake have accepted more than £20,000 from golf enthusiasts for a two-week let during the tournament and local estate agents have confirmed that top properties in the town will fetch in excess of this figure.

Christian Saverimutto, commercial surveyor for Michael L. Green estate agents, said: "Golf enthusiasts are prepared to pay large sums of money for their accommodation. We are in talks with the Royal and Ancient Golf Club at the moment and are hoping to become the official letting agents for the tournament."

The company, which has set up a website where people can register their interest, says it has received hundreds of enquiries from homeowners thinking of letting their properties from as far as Heswall.

Mr Saverimutto said: "Because there is so little in the way of hotels in Wirral and Liverpool there will be plenty of opportunity for this type of let and also for bed and breakfast arrangements."

Hoylake residents have received flyers from companies urging them to consider a short let in July 2006 while others are considering letting out their homes privately.

One Hoylake resident, who does not wish to be named, said: "Everyone is very excited at the prospect but it is worth considering carefully. I thought it was a great idea until I realised how much work would be involved.

"The house would have to be fit for guests down to freshly made beds and all appliances working and so on and you may not get your home back in the same state as you left it."

Wirral and Liverpool are very short of hotels and accommodation generally.

Agents believe there will be every opportunity for householders to cash in on bed and breakfast arrangements

The 2006 event should bring in vast amounts of revenue for Wirral businesses.

But some doubts have been raised as to Wirral's readiness to realise the championship's huge money-earning potential.

The borough's chamber of commerce has said that businesses must act now to reap the "tremendous" long-term benefits.