If is in full sun then you probably have grubs in the soil. If in the shade, then it's probably disease. You could have some debris just under the surface that prevents the roots of the grass reach deeper to find moisture.

Do the screwdriver test and see what you get.

Nope, that ain't right. What has been your watering and fertilizing schedule? What kind of fescue? Are you sure there wasn't perennial rye in the mix?

What are you talking about, soccer dad?

Auteck, I think he was just answering the OP's question about whether his results were typical, and not referring to your post.

I will check the bag and see if there was perennial rye in the mix. I fertilized it six weeks after I sowed the seed, per the instructions on the seed package. My lawn is not in full sun, it gets dappled shade throughout the day and total shade in late afternoon.

I just checked the package and there is no perennial rye. It consists of 54% Einstein Fescue, 32% Lindbergh Fescue and 9% creeping red fescue.

auteck, I do apologize if you thought I was referring to your post. I was answering the OP, but I certainly need to be more careful with my posts. Sorry.

Phillip, The first picture looks like a burned out lawn to me. You didn't say how much you have been watering. A mild spring fertilizer would have been nice, but not necessary and certainly not a cause of your problem. I did not see anything in the cultivars you listed that would indicate a problem. Looks like a nice shade mixture. auteck may have the answer. I'm afraid with tall fescue that what is dead is dead and you'll need to reseed this fall. I would recommend a soil test and investigation of the soil down to about 8 inches. Can you grab a hand full of turf and pull it up or is it firmly rooted?

I have been fungus-obsessed lately. That said, with that dappled shade, your location and the time of year I am suspecting fungus. What has your watering been like lately, both rain and irrigation? Lots of water at night, frequently? High humidity?

Did that die-off happen all at once, or did it spread from smaller spots? If you pull up some of the borderline healthy grass at the borders of the devastated areas, can you tell whether the grass is dying from the top down, the bottom up, or by random spots in the middle of the leaves?

I am thinking damping out, but that is really just a wild-a$$-guess. Still, your answers to those questions will help narrow it down somewhat.

Could be grubbs, but you'll have to inspect the lawn more closely for damaged areas. We used an organic solution (nimetodes - ? on spelling) for grubbs and it worked.

The net says Einstein and Lindberg fescues were developed in the Pacific Northwest. The red fescue generally likes shade.

Your biggest problem might be selection of varieties that don't fit your area too well.

You might check out NTEP and see what those trials show.