Whilst glossy Netflix documentaries may suggest that the life of a professional golfer is glamorous and luxurious, that is a far cry from reality.
Some players have adopted unusual ways to travel to reduce costs and faff including the Netherland’s Zhen Bontan who for the last three seasons on LETAS has lived in a tent above her car.
Whilst an unusual choice for a touring player, Bontan enjoys being alternative.
“I got the tent before I turned professional in 2020. We were looking for something that I can travel with and then we found it.
“Because the LETAS schedule is in Europe, I try to drive to as many places as possible from the Netherlands.
“It’s central. To the south of France its 12 hours, then up to Scandinavia its 12 hours.
Considering LETAS doesn’t always travel to the sunniest spots, Bontan admits that it can be a struggle.
“I really love it but when the weather isn’t good it can be a problem. The hardest experience was back in 2023 in Sweden.
“There was a storm, I lasted two days and then thought it was a much better decision to take a hotel.”
To an outsider, Bontan’s decision to travel in this style can raise questions, why does she do it?
“Obviously, people think oh she’s Dutch. She’s doing it because she’s cheap.
“Honestly, it does save me a lot of money, my maximum for the week can be fifty euros.
“I do it not just to save money though, I do it for the experience and for the adventure.
“A golf career is such an adventure, and you must figure things out by yourself.
“It’s my career and my story that I’m writing. So, I enjoy experimenting and learning.”
After finding out the hard way, Bontan realised that staying on campsites rather than on-site at tournaments is a better way to live.
“I sometimes stay at the courses, but I prefer to stay on a campsite, to get away and have that out of office feeling.
“I learnt my lesson, as staying on courses means you are woken up early by greenkeepers working and as a professional athlete, I need my sleep!
When asked if she thought this way of travelling affected her golf performance, Bontan responded: “For me it doesn’t affect my performance.
“It’s not for everyone but I’m used to it, and I enjoy it. I find it makes things less stressful and makes travelling easy.”
