Joyce Deese Benson (1984) - CSUN Athletics Hall of Fame

Joyce Deese Benson

Induction:
1984
Class:
1971

Joyce Deese Benson was inducted into the CSUN Athletics Hall of Fame in 1984. Deese Benson was a four-year captain for the San Fernando Valley State (CSUN) Women's Golf program from 1967 to 1971. Deese_Benson_Joyce_HOFnew

Before turning pro, Deese Benson posted runner-up finishes in the 1969 and 1970 Western Association Championships and the 1970 Southern California State Amateur, which were the best of her limited amateur career.

Deese Benson_Joyce

Deese Benson first joined the LPGA Tour in 1971 and would compete on tour until 1985. She lost her card after the 1975 season but regained it in July 1976. She had hand surgery in 1977 and did not play again until 1979, when she collected two wins. Deese Benson posted her career-best finish, a 10th-place tie, at the 1976 Jerry Lewis Muscular Dystrophy Classic during her most successful season on tour. In 1985, she posted a solo 72nd-place finish at the Chrysler Plymouth Classic, her season’s best performance.

Deese Benson, who graduated from CSUN in 1984 with her bachelor's degree in kinesiology, was a Class "AA" member of the LPGA Touring and Teaching Divisions. She later built a successful career as a real estate broker, operating Joyce Benson Real Estate, until she passed away on April 8, 2026, in Harlingen, Texas.