@texas weed I am in Austin. Apparently the first pallet was even worse, this was the better one! We are getting a lot of rain today and tomorrow so I will see what it looks like in the next couple of days As to watering more often I cannot for two reasons, first I work as does my wife, second and more importantly Austin is in a sever drought right now with insane water restrictions. With new sod I get some exceptions but not a lot! As it stands I can only water every other day for 1 more week then it is 2x a week for a couple of weeks then I am on full restriction. Every Sunday before 10am OR after 7:00pm. That is why Bermuda is now the only grass to code. No more st. Augustine.

Im in East Texas and yes there is some common bermuda in the yard in patches..I would say prob 15%. I put out some 13-13-13 product in some areas about 1 month ago mixed with bermuda seed and it seems to be doing just ok. This was before becoming acquainted with some of the strategies Ive seen here. For the wedding I am only planning on sowing bermuda on the side the ceremony will be on which is close to 3/4 acre so the rest is not important this year just the 3/4 acre. As far as how much work Im willing to do. Pretty much whatever it takes seeing that I want to over the next couple of years transform my small patch of land into full bermuda lawn, wedding or not. Work is fine just not massive cost. It doesnt have to be above average just because from starting point im at I don't think its possible. Honestly just want it as green and full as i can hope for in a short 3 months. Much appreciated TW

@dchall_san_antonio - thanks so much for the reply. The sod shouldn't have been on the pallet for longer than 24-30 hours. We had to wait between rains that were ~9 days apart. The first storm was heavy so the sod farm in Houston couldn't cut. I was told it was cut in the afternoon and delivered the next morning to ATX. It was installed immediately all in one day. The brown spots actually run from one piece to another, around edges as well as across the center of pieces which is why I am concerned about a fungus or disease. We had more rain this evening so will back off watering some more as the soil is super wet. It definitely looks dormant (brown) in spots, not dead (gray). I haven't researched pre-emergents yet. There are really no weeds in the lawn other than the nutsedge, so was hoping to get ahead of the winter ones. I will definitely be able to spray once its all dormant. If there is a pre-emergent that is recommended, I am open to any suggestions. The good news is that it rooted in really well and fast. I can't find a spot that can be picked up anywhere. I was rolled twice the day it was installed and again the next day. It's only been mowed once by my yard crew, prob at 1.5". I am planning to take that over in the spring and will go as low as I can. I am certain I am going to have a leveling project as well. There are plenty of small indentations I would like to address. It wasn't dragged, only raked before the sod was installed. It was a toss up between tif and celebration. I liked the color of celebration a bit more and there is a bit of shade on either side, although one edge/side gets morning to mid afternoon sun, and the other gets mid morning to late afternoon sun. Would love to be able to make one fertilizer application organic. What's the best in your view? I've been using liquid seaweed on my garden beds and have no idea if that would advisable for the lawn. Compost tea is also an option in Austin, especially in the spring. All of the local nurseries have it available for those of us who haven't made our own. Thanks again!

Here's what you can do to encourage bermuda. These are in order of importance. Watering: Deep and infrequent is the mantra for watering. This is for all turf grass all over the place. Deep means 1 inch all at one time. Put some cat food or tuna cans around the yard, and time how long it takes your sprinkler(s) to fill all the cans. Memorize that time. That will be the time you water from now on. My hose, sprinkler and water pressure takes 8 full hours to fill the cans. Your time will likely be less. I like gentle watering. As for watering frequency, that depends on the temperature. With temps in the 90s, deep water once per week. With temps in the 80s, deep water once every 2 weeks. With temps in the 70s, deep water once every 3 weeks. With temps below 70, deep water once a month. Note that you have to keep up with quickly changing temps in the spring and fall. This deep and infrequent schedule works in Phoenix and in Vermont, so it should work for you. The reason for deep and infrequent is to grow deeper, more drought resistant roots and to allow the soil to dry completely at the surface for several days before watering again. If it rains, reset your calendar to account for the rainfall. Mulch mow at the mower's lowest setting 2x per week. Relative to what reeljake said, I think the turf is mature enough to mow low now. Fertilize monthly through the growing season with a high N (low to zero P and K) fertilizer. If you want to get your soil microbes going, fertilize with an organic fertilizer in addition to the monthly chemical ferts. I like alfalfa pellets (rabbit chow) and/or corn meal at 15-20 pounds per 1,000 square feet. If you want to get a soil test, skip the TAMU test and get the $25 test from Logan Labs. Post your results here for a good analysis showing what to apply, why, when, how often, where to get the stuff. You can soften your soil by applying any clear shampoo at a rate of 3 ounces per 1,000 square feet. Try to stick a screwdriver into it and get a feel for how hard it is and how deep you can push. Do that when it is dry and when it is moist. Then 3 weeks after you sprayed the shampoo, do that screwdriver test again. If you're not happy, spray it again. Shampoo is the most effective way to soften the soil. Is your soil surface perfectly level with no humps, bumps, or holes? If not you might want to level it this summer. We can help with that.