On #17 fairway, you can see the slightly off-color turf, the result of slightly wilted grass plants. Upon closer inspection with a soil probe (above), you can see the soil is nearly bone dry, almost dusty. Even after 3" of rain since Sunday, there are areas that need water! This is known as localized dry spotting (LDS) that is caused by varying soil conditions that become hydrophobic (repel water as opposed to absorb water). Think about a time when you potted a house plant, using a peat moss like growing medium, and tried to water it for the first time. You probably recall it a little frustrating because no matter how much water was added, the soil wanted to "float" and wouldn't initially absorb water. Natural soils behave the same way once they become this dry. The only way to rewet the soil is through the use of wetting agents; strong soap-like concentrates that reduce/ eliminate water tension, allowing water droplets to spread out. It will also take a slow, steady rain to rewet these areas. The flash flood like rains we receive just run-off, settling in low areas, doing nothing to rewet the soil on slopes.
An example if water tension can be observed by watching water spiders on the surface of a pond. It is the tight bonded water molecules that allow these spiders to walk across the top of water. I promise I never tried this, but if you take a small about of wetting agent and pour it into the water at the headwall on #11 creek (where the water ponds before moving down stream), all of the water spiders sink to the bottom. Again, I never tried that but that's what I hear.