Even given the amount of rainfall we've had recently, there are several areas like the front #1 fairway, #6 hillside on the fairway and the front of #8 fairway that require more water. These areas become hydrophobic, meaning they repel water. This makes the soil extremely difficult to rewet. Therefore, today, we are spraying a wetting agent to help water penetrate the soil. A wetting agent is nothing more than industrial strength soap. It breaks the surface tension of water, giving it a better chance to soak in. Otherwise, like a freshly waxed car, the water will bead up and simply run off.
The best example of water tension is water spiders. Every kid is fascinated by them. Without water tension, a water spider could not walk across the surface of the water. In fact, it fun to dump wetting agent into a small pool of water and watch them sink. It is mean, but fun nonetheless.