MORE PRO, AMATEUR GOLFERS TAKING RVs ON THE ROAD
Driving distance has taken on a new meaning with the PGA Tour

RESTON, Va. — Professional and amateur golfers alike are discovering they can more easily pursue their passion in recreation vehicles (RVs).

Three years ago there were three players on the PGA Tour who traveled the circuit in motorhomes. Today, there are 19 PGA players traveling in RVs. They're turning to RVs to avoid the hassles commonly associated with hotels, guest housing and airports, especially lost or broken clubs, the tools of their trade.

But for many of the RVing golfers, the ability to travel with their wives and children has also been a driving force behind the trend towards motorhomes.

Sara Moores, director of player relations and special programs for the PGA, recently told The New York Times, "Ten years ago, players didn't travel with their families. Now the family unit is out there. The whole face of the tour has changed. "

Aside from lauding the benefits of RV travel, many pro golfers are saying that RVing enhances their performance on the greens. They get to go home in the evening after they play, an advantage they say helps stabilize their games.

Pro golfer Rory Sabbatini, who travels with his wife and infant son, says that touring in an RV is having a positive effect on both his family life and golf game.

"You don't find yourself getting stressed out," Sabbatini recently said of having his family and home close by. "Now my wife and son come with me on tour. That has allowed me to relax and play more events without getting fatigued or stressed out." Traveling by RV, he said, "is like being at home [and] more relaxing" than flying and staying in hotels.

The players and their families enjoy all the comforts of home while on the road, according to the Recreation Vehicle Industry Association (RVIA). They appreciate the state-of-the-art entertainment and communications systems, designer interiors, gourmet kitchens, satellite and plasma TVs, and living rooms and bedrooms that slide out at the push of a button to create extra space.

"I've got my bed, my pillows, my satellite card, my underwear and socks on the RV," said Davis Love III, who is ranked fourth in the world and helped start the RV trend three years ago among pro golfers. He and his luxury RV were profiled in a recent Golf Digest article. Love singled out the freedom and feeling of home the RV gives him on the road. He notes, "Having all your clothes in the motorhome and not having to pack suitcases, you can get used to that. Plus we can take our motorcycle. It fits right underneath [in the RV's storage area]."

But it's not just pros who use RVs to pursue their golfing passions. "Every year hundreds of thousands of RV owners hit the road in search of new and challenging golf courses to play throughout the country," according to Golf Business magazine. This has prompted many course owners to provide special accommodations like campground sites, discounts and separate driving ranges just for RVers.

Order a free RV "getting-started" DVD or CD-ROM at 1-888-Go RVing or GoRVing.com. Surf the website for lists of Go RVing dealers and campgrounds in your area, as well as RV shows, publications, rental sources and clubs. Or write to: RVIA, P.O. Box 2999, Dept. P, Reston, VA 20195.

RVIA (rvia.org) is the national association representing more than 550 manufacturers and component suppliers producing approximately 98 percent of all RVs made in the United States.