Swinging against mental health
BLACKSBURG, Va. (April 6, 2026) — Golf is a very fun and strategic game. But many people don’t understand the mental struggles of the game and how much it can take a toll on you. Luke Bitsko, a senior at Virginia Tech, knows exactly the toll the game can have on you. Bitsko has played golf his entire life and has struggled with mental health because of the game of golf in the past.
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“It was a self-perpetuating cycle I was in,” Luke Bitsko said. “It was really no fun and hard to get out of.” During and after bad rounds of golf, Bitsko would get really down and would play worse due to the pressure he put on himself to succeed.
Luckily for him, he had a great support system around him that helped get out of this mindset. Friends and family stuck by his side when things got rough and helped remind him about the time and effort he has put in to be great at the game of golf.
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“Golf isn’t who I am, it’s just something I play,” Bitsko said. Bitsko now is focused on just enjoying the game and improving every day. That pressure is still there in ways, but now Bitsko is ready to handle whatever comes his way.
His girlfriend Ava Solis said she has noticed a change with how Bitsko handles the mental side of the game. “He is really positive when it comes to improving and growing,” said Solis. Solis spoke very highly of Bitsko and is very proud of how far he has come, not just with the game of golf but in life as well.
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Luke Bitsko has played for the club golf team at Virginia Tech since he was a freshman. Bitsko loves to compete and joining the club golf team gave him the perfect way to compete and balance school together. The team goes out and plays together numerous times during the week in preparation for tournaments. Bitsko loves how competitive the team is and how it encourages his play on the course.
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Bitsko’s favorite moment on the team was last year when he won a tournament at Kings Mill. He birdied the last two holes to force a playoff that everyone in attendance got to watch as he and another golfer in the tourney squared off in a head-to-head showdown. In the playoff, Bitsko birdied the hole as his teammates cheered him on to win the tournament.
Bitsko is looking forward to graduating from Virginia Tech in May. Even though his career at Virginia Tech is coming to an end, it doesn’t mean he is done with golf. Bitsko will keep working to get better at the game of golf as he enters this next stage in his life. Golf is something he will never let go of in life and he will always try to get better at.
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Bitsko has come a long way in his journey. Being an athlete isn’t always sunshine and rainbows and Bitsko is a good example of that. Not just golf but life in general will find ways to beat you down but you can never let it win. Bitsko is a great example of this, as he has taken back his identity and ultimately won the war.