Working moms everywhere face the challenge of holding down a job while dealing with kids who crave attention, mounds of dirty laundry and a long household "to do" list, but when you’re a touring golf pro, life can be even more complicated.

"Being a mom is my first and primary job. After I do my mommy duties, it’s all about managing time," said Ashli Bunch, who’s playing in the LPGA’s Lotte Championship at Ko Olina Golf Club this week.

"There’s no time for slacking or not feeling like doing your work."

Bunch, 36, who has collected $720,321 in career earnings, normally travels with her two children, Gracie, 6, and Jake, 4. Husband Mike also comes along when his work schedule permits. The family lives in Tennessee but Bunch is on the road about 18 weeks of the year as she competes in 15 events annually.

"Gracie is in first grade now, so we are home more than we used to be. In the summer we can be more flexible," she said.

Traveling by car works best for the family, Bunch said. "We can bring our own stuff. We are like a traveling circus."

Karen Stupples, also here to play in the Lotte Championship, is at her home in Orlando, Fla., only about 20 weeks out of the year. The 38-year-old native of Kent, England, plays in about 27 events annually — usually with husband Bobby Inman at her side as her caddy. Their son, Logan, will turn 5 on Saturday.

"We are on a strict time schedule so there’s no room for slacking, going to the movies and no date nights," Stupples said. "But we are together as a family the whole time. My husband is a great caddy. We’ve won tournaments together."

Stupples has more than $3.8 million in career earnings, won the Weetabix Women’s British Open in 2004 and is a two-time member of the Solheim Cup European team.

When touring on the mainland, the family likes to travel in an RV. "That way, we don’t need to keep packing and deal with the limitations on the airlines," Stupples said. "We just close it up and drive to the next spot. Our dog Emma gets to travel with us, too.

"We need to pack lots of stuff — for gala dinners, evening wear, casual clothes, workout and golf clothes … . And we have golf clubs."

Both Bunch and Stupples take advantage of the Smucker’s LPGA Child Development Center, the first traveling child care center in professional sports. The center, created in 1993, travels to at least 15 LPGA tournaments each year, providing the children of female golfers with a familiar setting and consistent care and education that includes playtime, reading, and field trips to area museums, historical sites and attractions.

About 20 women currently use the service that allows them to continue their careers as professional golfers.

"We have great sitters (at the center), so I do’t need to worry. The same sitters have cared for them since they were babies," Bunch said.

Gracie, Jake and Logan are friends and play together while on tour with their moms. At Ko Olina, the trio enjoyed interacting with the stingrays at the JW Marriott Ihilani Resort & Spa.

"They’ve been traveling since they were babies and have grown up together," Stupples said.

Even with the extra help provided by the Smucker’s center, Bunch and Stupples, like other parents, sometimes find themselves torn between motherhood and career.

Stupples recalled playing one of her best rounds while worrying about her sick son.

"He caught a bug and was throwing up all night. I needed to get the job done, get home and make sure he was OK," she said. "I was focused on what was most important and was not stressing about my golf game."

Stupples said things will be harder to juggle when Logan starts school. She says she might have to miss some of his school events but will try to be as involved as she can when she’s home.

"Logan is lucky. He’s always had one of us around. We never had a nanny," she said. "When we’d go overseas, he would stay with his grandparents (in England). It’s hard when we have to leave him behind.

"We are doing this together. I try to get everything done in a shorter period of time so I have more time with my son."

A larger family is something Stupples and her husband have had to forgo to pursue her career on the golf links. "The workload would be too much. I’d need to take at least a year off with no income," she said.

"It’s much harder for women golfers because they need to go through the pregnancy. The body completely changes, labor and delivery can be difficult and there’s the tiredness of taking care of an infant. Even as he gets older, I’m running on an empty tank," she said. "I’ve just lost the baby weight after 4 1/2 years."

Bunch said she often feels guilty when she has to miss school events, and when she’s home she is active in the parent-teacher organization and serves as a classroom mom.

On tour and at home she tries to stick to a morning routine, making breakfast, getting lunch ready, sending the kids to the child care center before getting herself ready.

"The hardest part is early morning tee times," Bunch added.

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» The LPGA Lotte Championship runs through Saturday at Ko Olina Golf Club; tickets are $10, free for children 16 and under.