Who We Are

The Tapemark Charity Pro-Am Golf Tournament, founded in 1972 by Bob Klas Sr. and Pat Cody Sr., raises critical funds for non-profit agencies serving Minnesota children and adults living with developmental disabilities and their families. We are a private, not-for-profit 501 (c) 3 Foundation.

What We Do

The Tapemark Charity Pro-Am Golf Tournament consists of two golf tournaments featuring men’s and women’s amateur and professional golfers.

Mission

With golf as an avenue of support for people with developmental disabilities, the Tapemark Charity Pro-Am works for a day when all Minnesotans, regardless of ability, can live, work, and play in their own communities with dignity, hope, and respect.

Efforts

In 1972, the first tournament raised $9,000. The specific goal in creating the Tapemark Pro-Am included three important requirements considered essential: that the event be competitive, that it be repeatable, and that the fundraising results from the tournament be commensurate with the effort to carry out the event. Since that first tournament in 1972, the Tapemark Pro-Am has raised and donated more than $6,500,000 to the agencies it supports.

GOLF – MEN

A 3-day tournament featuring 60 randomly drawn four-man teams (one PGA Golf Professional and one each of an A/B/C amateur) competing in a 2-Best Ball event over the course of two days. Approximately one-half of the field will make the cut to play Sunday for the Championship trophies.

Professionals will be competing for more than $27,000 in prize money and the Klas-Cody Tapemark Professional Championship trophy. The Tapemark Pro-Am has become one of the four major Men’s Professional events for the Minnesota Section of the PGA, and has been won by all the greatest professional players in Minnesota golf history!

The Men’s Event has a total purse of over $40,000!

GOLF – WOMEN

The Women’s Event is open to all amateur golfers, and competitors can register in one of two divisions: Championship Flight – based on the same format of the successful Men’s Event, teams will be captained by a Woman Professional golfer, and teams will be drawn randomly to include an A, B, and C amateur; and Open Flights event – a two-woman team event with one day of competition in a 9/9 format, featuring 9 holes of Best Ball play and 9 holes of Alternate Shot play. Teams are divided into flights based on the handicap of the best player on each team, there will be 1st, 2nd, and Fun Flights in this division.

Professionals will be competing for more than $4,000 in prize money and the Nora McGuire Tapemark Professional Championship trophy.

The Tapemark Women’s Event has a total purse of more than $7,000!

Participants

180 Men’s Amateurs, 112 Women’s Amateurs, 72 Professional Golfers – (60 Men and 12 Women) and 100+ Volunteers.

Benefiting Agencies

The Tapemark Charity Pro-Am makes charitable contributions in the form of general operating grants to four organizations; The Arc Greater Twin Cities, The Arc of Minnesota, Dakota Communities, and ProAct. At this time, we do not solicit or accept grants from other organizations. We do, however, encourage everyone we know to offer their generous support to the many worthy non-profits working hard on behalf of people with developmental and learning disabilities.

Staff

Robert Klas, Sr. – Co-Founder
Philip Callen – President
Jammi Hansen Blair – Tournament Coordinator
Tom Cody – Director of Golf
Linda Mahoney – Sponsorship Coordinator
David Kingsbury – Website Coordinator and Co-Director IT
Dillon Cody – Co-Director IT
Brendan Cody – Scoring Coordinator
Ashley Hall – Event Assistant

Board of Directors

Robert C. Klas, Jr., Vice-Chair
Marianne Reich, Chair
Dave O’Brien, Treasurer
Philip L. Callen, President/CEO and Secretary
Susan Bjorgum
Steve Ditschler
Sarah Erkkinen
Andrea Guerra
Sylvia Lund (Gambling Mgr.)
Karen O Donovan (Asst. Gambling Mgr.)
Mary Peterson
Deb McKenney
Darlene Keran
Jaclyn Schroeder
Tom Vruno

Volunteers

Each year the time, talents and resources of more than 150 volunteers are utilized.

Funding

The Pro-Am relies on annual funding support from sponsors and donors. The organization is also licensed to operate two charitable gaming facilities, the West St. Paul Bingo Palace and a pull-tab installation at Dunham’s Bar in West St. Paul. These two operations have contributed greatly to the fundraising success of the entire organization.

2013 Event

The week of Pro-Am activities begins on June 3rd with a Drawing of Teams Banquet, Women’s Event Day one June 4th (with both a competitive flight and a one-day open tournament for non-handicapped women’s golfers), Men’s play on June 8 and 9, and then the week will culminate with Championship Play on Sunday, June 9 in both the Men’s and Women’s Event. Building on a 41-year tradition, the trophy presentation that day will see a total Pro-Am purse of more than $50,000!