Do I need to create an account in OpenWater?
Yes, all members wishing to submit nominations and all nominees wishing to complete an award application form must create an account with OpenWater.

Once your account is created, you can access this tool at any time to submit nominations, review your submissions and complete the award application forms if nominated.

Go to “My Applications” in the “My Account” menu, or in the menu on the left side of your screen, to return to any of your saved forms to edit and submit.

Can I nominate a fellow member for any of the awards that appear on the nomination form?
You will need to check with your Section to see which awards they offer. All of the official PGA of America Awards are listed as options on the nomination form, however, a Section may opt out of collecting nominations for a particular award. Read the information on your Section’s OpenWater homepage to determine if there are any awards that are not offered (click on the “Home” link within OpenWater to view your Section’s homepage).

How do I submit a nomination?
If you have an account with OpenWater, you may begin to submit nominations during your Section’s designated nomination period. 

Nomination form instructions:

1. Enter information about yourself in the Nominator section of the form
2. Enter information about the nominee in the Nominee section of the form
3. Select the award category
4. If nominating the nominee for more than one award, continue to make those selections
5. Enter your justification of why this individual is deserving of a Section award
6. Click “Save” to save your work if you’re not ready to submit the nomination form. You can return to your saved forms by visiting the “My Applications” page. Or click “Save and Submit” to officially submit your nomination.

I submitted my first nomination, but how do I submit more?
Log into OpenWater with your account information and click the “Home” link to return to the homepage with the link to nominate. You will also be presented with this link on the confirmation page after submitting your first nomination as well as in the confirmation email you will receive once submitting a nomination form.

What is the difference between “Save” and “Save and Submit”?
Use the “Save” option if you want to save your work because you are not ready to officially submit the form. You can return to your saved forms by visiting the “My Applications” page. Use the “Save and Submit” option if you are ready to officially submit the nomination form.

I submitted my form but realized I made a mistake. How can I fix it?
Contact the Section office and a staff member will assist you.

I was nominated for a Section Award. What’s the next step?
To be considered for a Section Award you must complete the award application. Refer to the email from the Section listing which awards you were nominated for and complete the respective award applications in OpenWater. Please note, each award has its own award application form that must be completed and submitted in order to be considered.

I completed one award application, but was nominated for multiple awards. How do I complete the next form?
To start a new award application, refer to the e-mail sent to you from your Section listing which awards you were nominated for. This e-mail will contain a link to the form. The link is static, so you may access it multiple times in order to fill out additional award applications. If you are experiencing difficulty finding this e-mail or the link to the form, please contact your Section office so a staff member can assist you.

Is there a limit to the number of words I can enter in a text box?
No.

How do I know which award applications to complete?
Refer to the email sent from the Section listing which awards you have been nominated for. These are the awards you will be eligible to apply for.

How do I find my saved award applications?
Once logged into OpenWater, visit the “My Applications” page. Any forms that you have not yet submitted can be found under “In Progress”. You may edit and submit these forms. Any forms that have been submitted will be found under “Complete” which you can view or print for future reference.

I'm experiencing difficulties not covered here, what should I do?
If you are having trouble locating an email or have a question about using the platform, please reach out to your Section office.