The undying spirit that Joost Luiten showcases has a lot to do with his pillar of strength, Melanie-Jane Lancaster. But her husband was not her gateway to golf. Her love for this holistic sport started pretty young, all thanks to her father, Nigel, who went on to become a scratch golfer by the age of 14 himself.

Luiten-Lancaster’s family owns a 9-hole course named The Dunes in Zandvoort, which her parents own and run. The wife on tour not only follows the game of golf around the world but also deeply enjoys it. In fact, her love for the game has had some interesting developments in her personal and professional life. So how did golf make this 38-year-old’s wife an ace in all the fields she has stepped in?

A true all-rounder: the life story of Melanie-Jane Luiten-Lancaster

Born in Zandvoort on October 8, 1991, Melanie-Jane now resides in Randstand, Netherlands, with her husband Joost Luiten, their single child, and two dogs. Golf has, however, not been this Dutchie’s only love. As a teenager, she delved deeper into the realms of racing cars and European motorsports. However, when she could no longer obtain a full sponsorship for her racing dreams, she did what anyone would do, focus on her Plan B: an education from Johan Cruyff University.

She went on to pursue her education in Media, Entertainment, and Management, from the Inholland University of Applied Sciences, Media Management from the Media Academy, and finally, Sports Management from the famous Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences. Her multifaceted education is what laid the groundwork for her multifaceted career and position as an all-rounder.

From blogging on her renowned blog Melanie on Tour and showcasing her clever writing and storytelling skills to planning several golfing events that make a stronger and more accommodative spot for women in golf, to creating a special edition golf shoe, this 32-year-old has done it all.

Lancaster’s collaboration with her husband’s longtime sponsor and her beautifully crafted brainchild

Currently positioned as a Public Relations Communications Specialist at the Joost Luiten Foundation, Melanie has done more for the game of golf than many would think. One of her special contributions is her famous golf shoe design in collaboration with the Italian golf fashion brand, Duca del Cosma.

She recently recounted her first meeting with Caroline and Frank van Wezel, the owners of Duca del Cosma, and said, “I met Caroline and Frank van Wezel, the owners of Duca del Cosma, a few years ago at the KLM Dutch Open, it was like we had known each other all our lives and they are just like family. They saw how much I loved fashion and asked me why I hadn’t already designed my own shoes.”

Surely apart from two of her husband Luiten’s six wins on the European Tour, the KLM Dutch Open has brought some surprises for Mrs. Luiten-Lancaster too. Lancaster did her magic after getting the opportunity to live her fashion dream to its fullest potential. She turned her research skills on and decided to create a masterpiece that mixed the comfort of a golf shoe with the trendy look of a sneaker.

With some help in her ideation process from the Duca creatives, Melanie on Tour made sure to retain her original ideas and shape the shoe like she wanted. A delight to the eyes, this special edition shoe is a “predominantly white shoe that features a sporty black trim, along with five stars to reflect the high standards that should be followed in life and sport. Distinctive black eyelets feature on the top of the shoe, along with two pairs of luxury laces to deliver a striking look that can be paired with any outfit. An orange letter ‘C’ on the heel support resembles the colour that Joost wears on any Sunday on Tour and adds a super-premium look and feel to the shoe.”

Despite her uncertainty about expanding her shoe design business, Melanie’s only wish is for everyone to love her creations as much as she does, and she hopes to continue designing in the future.

The Luiten’s love for golf once almost led to Lancaster being severely injured: a scary accident that shocked many

While performing a unique stunt to deliver the struggle it is to play while observing social distancing from one’s caddie, Joost Luiten’s swing left his wife bruised. An accident on the course happened when the pro (who swang first as a six-year-old) told his caddie to throw him his club from a distance to maintain the 1.5-meter distance and then tried to hit his shot in the same motion. It went wrong and led to a dreadful shank flying the ball straight to Melanie, who was filming the stunt.

His repeated trials contributed to his wife’s injury. Talking about the instance, Luiten wrote, “Pfff playing golf with a caddy and keeping the 1.5m is hard. Almost killing my girlfriend in the process trying to master social distancing (she survived, just a bruise).”

Surely, life as a wife on Tour comes with its cons (and sometimes some unintended injuries). Thankfully for fans of the couple, they can find the details on her one-of-a-kind blog: Melanie on Tour.