Wetting Agent Influence on Surface Firmness and Winter Injury of Putting Greens Sam Bauer and Dr. Brian Horgan Wetting agents are tools that many golf course superintendents use to manage soil moisture. Recently, there has been an increase in wetting agent product claims that their use improves surface firmness and reduces winter injury; however, research on these benefits is limited. We are aware of only three additional research projects that have assessed wetting agent influence on surface firmness of putting greens, and there are no research studies that have evaluated the impact related to winter health. The three firmness study results have not been published in peer reviewed literature. In 2007, Moeller et al. found no differences in the surface firmness
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of putting greens following the application of three commercially available wetting agents. Dr. Doug Karcher (U. of Arkansas) also evaluated the influence of eight wetting agent products on the surface firmness of putting greens in Arkansas and found no differences in firmness based on treatment (unpublished data). He concluded by saying, “(wetting agents) appear to have little effect on putting surface performance�. Most recently, Nangle et al. (2015) studied firmness effects of four wetting agents on a creeping bentgrass putting green in IL, finding no differences.