ON THE RANGE
by Julliana Bravo
If you were to look at Jim Pavonetti’s high school yearbook, his “most likely to be” entry would look something similar to what he’s doing now.
Golf course maintenance is not only his job, but his passion. From developing environmental systems to registering his clubs as Audubon Cooperative Sanctuaries, it’s all paid off, leading to the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America giving him the 2026 President’s Award for Environmental Stewardship.
The GCSAA established the award in 1991 to recognize an exceptional environmental contribution to the game, a contribution that further exemplifies a superintendent’s image as a steward of the land.
The honor is just the latest environmental accolade for Pavonetti during his 30-year career. After graduating from Rutgers with a degree in turf management in 1993, Pavonetti worked at Willow Ridge Country Club, now known as Harrison Meadows, in Harrison, N.Y. Having worked in course maintenance throughout his time at Rutgers, the new position wasn’t a surprise to him. He stayed there for six years before moving to West Point Golf Course, where he honed his skills and became a certified superintendent through the GCSSA. He then moved to The Edison Club in Saratoga, N.Y., where he spearheaded course renovations. He also helped The Edison Club become an Audubon Certified Sanctuary, a program that promotes environmental sustainability through wildlife management, chemical use, water conservation, and more. Five years later in 2008, he was back in the Met Area to take the head superintendent position at Fairview Country Club in Greenwich, Conn.
Pavonetti loves the “challenge” of the Met Area, where the weather is unpredictable and can be extreme. The key to his success at Fairview has been developing a system. He’s implemented technological and ecological improvements, such as a new irrigation system to conserve water and energy, habitat restoration, and minimizing runoff to protect waterways.
During the season, he’ll come in 30 minutes before his team to survey the course, noting any issues he needs to address. Next, he’ll gather data: clipping yields of greens determines the amount of fertilizer needed, while moisture levels indicate which spots are healthier than others.
This type of data collection is very different from his routine 15 years ago, which consisted of reacting to problems rather than implementing preventive measures. Alongside that, weather data is much more advanced now, allowing the team to be more accurate when it comes to preventing larger-scale issues, instead of predicting what extreme weather might look like.
In the case of the recent winter storms, Pavonetti’s team worked through them, inch by inch. Sometimes, however, all you can do is pray that the type of weather doesn’t impact your greens too much. Pavonetti notes that powdered snow actually insulates the greens, keeping them at 32 degrees beneath it. What they don’t want is ice, which is much more difficult to deal with and takes longer to melt.
Preparation is key in the fall because healthy grass improves the chances of rebounding in the spring. Much as nature adapts, Pavonetti and his team must be ready for whatever comes their way. But the challenges of working in the Met Area make him and his team stronger and more resilient.
Pavonetti has been in the business long enough to know that sometimes you can have a great plan, whether it’s going into the winter, preventing pests, or dealing with drought, but the best course of action is to be as versatile and as flexible as possible.
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