Water deeper , 3 times a week.( on rainless weeks) What type of sprinkler is it - pop up spray, rotor, ? Use a soil conditioner -such as 'Revive'- which will help move the water deeper into the soil. Don't put top soil on top of what you have. Use weed preventer in spring to control crabgrass. Use crabgrass killer spray to get rid of what you have now.... re-seed in mid Sept.

If you can find Revive soil conditioner, that might work for you. Most of us use any clear shampoo from Dollar Tree. The application rate is 3 ounces per 1,000 square feet. Apply with a hose end sprayer. You cannot overapply shampoo. Follow that up with a deep watering of at least 1/2 inch.

You should wean your lawn off of the frequent watering until the temps cool off and you can pick up a more normal pattern according to the temperature. 3x per week might work for you. The problem with going cold turkey is your roots are short. By deep watering and withholding it the grass will grow deeper roots to reach the deeper moisture. Give it a few months this season and by next season you can go full on deep and infrequent.

The difference between yours and your neighbor's lawn is not the sod versus seed. Yours looks like it was frequently watered. Do you know how he waters his?

Your next fertilizer app is coming up in a month. Then the final for the year comes about Thanksgiving when the grass stops growing but it still green. At that time apply a fast release, high N fertilizer (like urea). That will help the lawn awaken next spring. Be sure the grass has stopped growing this season, though. Otherwise it will sprout new shoots that become susceptible to freeze this year.

I will buy some revive to apply. So you guys think I don't need to change the soil although there are so many rocks under the lawn?