Sightseeing or taking it easy: Joost Luiten makes a clear choice
‘Amsterdam’ will (for now) be the stage for the KLM Open for the last time. In recent years, fellow players have regularly asked Joost Luiten for tips on what to do in their free time in the Dutch capital. “Of course, there are many other reasons why players choose a tournament, but the fact that The International is located near Amsterdam definitely helped.”
With a slight preference for Rotterdam, Luiten would sometimes joke to his international colleagues that “there isn’t that much to do in 020,” but in all honesty, he did notice that Amsterdam’s appeal has attracted quite a few players in recent years.
Joost Luiten at the KLM Open 2025
“Players usually first ask about the course where the tournament is played. The KLM Open is often held on the same course for three consecutive years, and they’re curious about that—just like we Dutch players ask the Italians about the course for the Italian Open. Sometimes they might not like it at all, but they’ll still go. The news that the KLM Open will return to Kennemer next year has been well received by many players. They see it as a beautiful, old-school course.
In general, players prefer tournaments played on a course in or very close to a major city—and that’s no disrespect to other locations, like Vught, where Bernardus is of course a great course. It just appeals more to the guys. And if I’m honest, the same goes for me.
Not too long ago, I went to Tokyo for the first time. Melanie, her brother who joined us, and I arrived a few days early to explore the city. Yes, we even did one of those Mario Kart tours through the streets of Tokyo. The city was an amazing experience. Fortunately, there wasn’t a tournament the week before, so we had time to really play tourist. That way, you get to see and experience more of the local golf culture.
Right now I’m in Delhi, a place I also really enjoy. I find it fascinating. But it’s not like I go out a lot during tournaments. I used to do that more in my first year on tour. Everything is new then, and you don’t know if you’ll still be on tour the following year—let alone twenty years later. Back then, you often didn’t have to play the pro-am on Wednesday, so you had more time. You tried to see as much as possible. For example, when I first played in China, I really wanted to visit the Great Wall. To be honest, it was a bit underwhelming. Apart from being incredibly long, I expected something a bit more impressive from a defensive wall. In Delhi, I once took a tuk-tuk that drove us around the old part of the city for a few hours. I paid the driver what I thought it was worth—and that ended up being quite a bit more than he asked, haha.
South Africa is another place that never gets boring—Leopard Creek in particular. I’ve done a safari through a wildlife reserve more than once. The last time, our son Dex joined us, which made it extra special. Nature remains one of the most remarkable things—you never know what you’re going to see.
You might think that after so many years on tour I’d be less focused on golf and more on the world around me, but for me it’s the opposite. I’m 40 now, and more often than in my early years on tour, I choose to lie on my bed in the hotel and rest, haha.”
