Also for watering: the soil looks too dry too soon currently. Mine, too--and I have no real problems. The very top surface of the soil dries out really fast in sun and wind, but that doesn't mean there isn't water underneath. You can test that by pushing a screwdriver into the soil. If it goes in fairly easily (barring rocks), your soil is damp. Or drive a small trowel into it and separate it into a V shape by rocking it a little bit. That'll give you a direct visual on how deep the water is. Here would be my plan: for now do very frequent waterings to help really wet the soil, I'm not familiar with California (except for the part about moderate temperatures and no rain), but this doesn't sound like a good idea--it encourages shallow roots and lawn diseases. The standard is 1" of water a week, all at once (well, within a day to allow for on/off cycles to allow the water to penetrate). For sandy soil your mileage will differ because the water wicks out fast and goes very deep very quickly. I will also probably try milorganite as a jump start, as I fear my soil is probably pretty depleted. I swear by it, others don't (it is processed sewage, but heated enough to kill everything in it). The 18 lbs/thousand square feet I put down last weekend kicked in and it's a rainy week. The grass, since Sunday, has grown one and a half inches and gone a deeper green. Once it stops raining, I'll mow. I went high, but I'm going to renovate this fall--with a deep, heavy core aeration I want lots of organics mixing into the holes. I alternate it with alfalfa and soy. When I started (early last year), my soil profile was slightly silty clay, poor drainage, very poor water penetration, hard as a rock, and a light tan. It had been corn field for as long as I could remember prior to building, and even my parents don't remember when it wasn't. Call it 40 years of abuse. Now it's still slightly silty clay (nothing's going to change that short of a renovation down to a foot or more). Drainage is fair to good, penetration is good to excellent, the soil is still hard when dry (it's supposed to be), but spongy when wet. The top half-inch is black, another inch is deep brown, and a good three inches below that have turned a midrange brown. Everything grows better and more strongly. I'm very pleased. Some older photos are here. I have to update them--the grass has improved since these were taken and the season advanced a bit.

Well that was a dud deal. Turns out it had more hours than what was advertised. He had paperwork saying a brand new engine was installed at the 1960 mark and is why i was told 40hrs. The meter had nearly 2000 hrs on it. In anycase i didnt buy it dealer said not to. So back to the drawing board.. Oops sorry I just seen this. Sorry it did not work out, but I knew something was wrong, as a good used one should be more like $15,000 to $18,000

If you are looking for a putting green you need something like dwarf tiff eagle, or anything with dwarf..... Or use one of the high grade Paspalums. A seeded variity just won't work. You will need to cut at 1/4" or lower with a greens quality mower.$$$$$ And be prepared to mow at least every other day up to everyday when the weather is hot.

If what we have is actually quack grass. Will it invade and take over the entire lawn? What is the solution to get rid of it? From what if have read trying to pull it out is not a good idea. I did try to spot spray it with Weed-B-Gon last year at a higher concentration on a second application and it did suppress it but it also damaged the lawn around it.