Denzil Storbeck

Denzil Storbeck

     We are again saddened to learn that another long time Valero Golf Club member Denzil Storbeck passed away on Sunday, Sept. 27th, 2020 at age 88.

      In reviewing his time with the club we find that he played with us for fifty years, from 1971 until the present.

     His firsts; The first tournament he won was the Green Tree Tournament in 1972, he won the low gross in the second flight and his first tournament points. He made his first birdie in 1979 at the par 3 fifteenth hole at old Blue Rock Springs GC. His first CP win came at Green Tree in 1978. His first LD win came at Tilden in 1977. He may have had earlier CP’s & LD’s, the stats are only from 1974 on, also more birdies as the stats are only from 1979 on

     In Major Tournament play he won the Pyramid Tournament in 1983 & 1986, he won the Club Championships in 1984.

     Other achievements Denzil attained were; Scoring Champion in 1982, 1986 & 1999, Points Champion in 1999, runner-up in 1978 & 1982. Runner-up for the most improved player in 1999. Had the most  improved handicap in 1979 and was runner-up in 1980,  had the most tournament wins by year in 1978, 1982 & 1999, was the club’s Player of the Year in 1982 and runner-up in 1984 & 1986, he had at least one tournament win each year from 1976 until 1986 (except 1981) with 3 wins coming in 1982 & 1984. 

     Some records Denzil holds; the low gross course record 81 at Rio Vista (gold tees), most times Scoring Champion (3). 

     His final stats; 29 tournament wins, 95 top 3 finishes, 404.0 tournament points, 3 major tournament wins, 73.15 net scoring average, 13 CP’s, 3 LD’s, 46 birdies and 26 pyramid match wins.     

     His last tournament win came in 2009, the best-ball tournament at Wildhorse with partner Mike Osada. This was back to back best-ball wins as they won the previous year at Rancho Solano.

     Denzil was the best partner you could have in best-ball events, he was so steady, you could count on him to come through and save the day, this let his partner go full blast at it on every hole. I know this personally as we teamed up to win the best-ball at Kennedy in 1985. He teamed with Mike Osada to win Best-Balls in 1999, 2008 & 2009. He was also a member on the winning Scramble teams in 1982, 1991, 1996, 2000 and 2007.

     Denzil’s golf game travelled well, he won tournaments at Bethel Island, old Blue Rock Springs, Boundary Oak, new Chimney Rock, Foxtail-North, Franklin Canyon, Green Tree, Hiddenbrooke, Kennedy, Lone Tree, Paradise Valley, Tilden and Wildhorse golf courses.

     I played Denzil in many matches and it was always tough, I knew I had to play my best to beat him as he rarely beat himself. I lost to him in the 1984 match play Club Championship finals 2&1 in a very close match right to the end. I also lost to him the year he won the Pyramid Tournament. I did get by him a few times but they were rare. 

     Denzil was also involved in the biggest upset in the golf club’s history, in 1983 he played Tom Palilonis in the Club Championship match play finals and with his steady play was an odds on favorite to win it as Tom could be a little erratic. Golf can be a cruel game though as Tom beat Denzil 8&7 and took the Club Championship in a major upset.

     Denzil was deservedly inducted into the Valero Golf Club’s Hall of Fame in 1998. We’re going to miss him. I knew Denzil for 50+ years, both at work and playing golf. He would stop by my office and we would talk, mainly golf but lots of other things also. Denzil would explain to me how he discovered something that would improve his game, he joined all the others that searched for “the secret” in golf. I’ll really miss those talks and playing golf with him, he was a great guy, Mike Cook