You purchased the house last year so there is, I'm supposing, no information on what the lawn in that area did last year at this time....maybe the same thing you are experiencing.
It could be the ground is hard in the area and doesn't accept moisture down to a level that the lawn uses it to its advantage. In other words, maybe the lawn isn't getting water in that area and pays the price.
Too much, is as bad as too little. Too much and too little causes short roots which, when the summer heat hits it, dries it up fast.

You didn't say whether you fertilize regularly. Turf grass is, like any other plant, needs food. A regular schedule of fertilizing keeps a lawn in good health and even if grubs invade, a turf that is in the best of health can fight it off.

I suggest you do an over layering of compost/triple mix or good topsoil...about 1/2" to 1" and do this every spring ....and fall.
Then an overseeding at the same times. What this does is builds organic matter into the soil, improves the soil to absorb and hold moisture and results in a tough turf that can stand up to the dry periods or the over-wet times.

To find out how much soil/compost to buy, simply measure the area you wish to cover...length times width...IN FEET.
Multiply that by the depth IN INCHES the soil you wish to put down...and multiply that figure by 3.....and divide by 1000.
The result will tell you exactly, in cubic yards, how much soil to buy.
Thus, if you were to cover the entire 1000 square feet with 1" of soil....1000 sq ft X 1" = 1000, then multiply that by 3...= 3000 divided by 1000 = 3 cubic yards of soil would cover the area.

By overlayering 1" of soil over the lawn every spring and fall will improve the drainage and water containment quality and improve the lawn's ability to grow grass in difficult times.
A good combination of seeds for northern areas is"
40% Kentucky Blue, 30% perennial ryegrass and 30% fescue.
This combo makes for a tough lawn that stands up to most what nature throws at it.

Joe, the reference I made to the type of grass seed to use is for northern type turf grasses. Rhode Island is in a part of America that is said to be in a transition zone....i.e. in a central part of the country that can grow northern as well as southern type grass. The importance then of identifying the type of grass you have and copying is vital to continue having the grass that does best in your area.

Some southern type grasses are quite different than northern ones...be sure to purchase from a qualified dealer who knows what type grass seed you wish and can advise how to keep it in good health.
Some southern grasses --such as Bermuda---cannot be oversprayed weed killer...it kills the turf as well.
From the picture I think you have a Kentucky Blue...I'm no expert at identifying grass types so be guided by what the experts advise.

Goren, I can assure you that Rhode Island is NOT in the transition zone. Laying 1" of topsoil every spring and fall is a bad idea and on a large lawn will be very labor and cost intensive. It won't improve drainage either. Layering one inch of anything on a lawn of size will be expensive.

The spreading brown patches are likely due to fungal disease, drought, heat stress, or a combination of any one of these factors. The brown patches may come back with cooler weather and rains, but disease can and does permanently kill grass, but not always. If the crowns are undamaged then the grass should return. A soil test would be a good place to start in determining what you need to add to your soil to make it a more conducive to supporting healthy grass.

Tiemco - I just came across Goren's same recommendation on another post before I found this. I agree with you and posted a similar response in the other thread.

goren - please stop making these recommendations. There really are many reasons it is bad advice. Unecessary cost & labor,the effect of adding 1" twice a year for several years, overseeding twice a year (especially in spring), etc. NOT GOOD!!!

Yes, it's obvious that Goren is either a bot or a troll. Either way, his advice should be ignored.

1 inch of anything on top of grass will result in a dead lawn 1 week later. Everything goren said has some basis in fiction.

How often do you water and for how long?
How high/low do you mow?
When were the last two times you fertilized and what did you use?

The disease diagnosis is the best. It will help to confirm when you answer the questions.

I accept any reasonable opinions expressed...IF THEY REALLY KNOW WHAT THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT....and far from doing damage,overlaying 1/2" of topsoil every spring...and every fall, will not cause damage. The topsoil, hopefully, is not dirt....but reasonably good topsoil that will impart organic matter into the soil and thereby helps retain moisture.

While such a volume of soil might be expensive to the average homeowner, the suggestion is to then do it according to your ability to cover such cost.
Expensive or not....the practice will improve a lawn.

I bow to experience of knowing individuals...but I assure you what I wrote is an accepted practice by those that know its benefits. LOOK IT UP in GARDEN JOURNALS.

The average homeowners' lawns are, without doubt, short on organic make-up. Without a soil test it is reliable way to help a lawn.

As noted, there any a thousand and one things that can affect the health of a lawn...but, unless the homeowner gets professional help he/she should try the simple approach...and not go overboard on well meaning, but amateur writers in garden chat rooms such as this.
Suggesting gloom and doom is not helping the writer. She should be encouraged to do the simple thing and see if that doesn't do the trick.
Laying compost on top of a lawn is never ...NEVER...bad for the soil.

So now it's 1/2 an inch, not 1 inch. First of all, topsoil, is just that, soil or dirt, which is not the same thing as organic matter. Most topsoils you can purchase commercial will contain a maximum of 10% organic matter, and generally it is much lower. Topsoil doesn't decompose, so after years of adding topsoil to your lawn, you will be raising the soil level to how many inches you apply. Adding compost, not topsoil, is a perfectly acceptable practice, but again, 1 inch is too much, and can have harmful effects on turf. You are correct in that raising organic matter will be a beneficial practice, but unfortunately your postings are full of untrue and incorrect statements.

Goran,

I may not like tiemco's "bedside maner" and may disagree with him on some points like "disturbing the soil" and I may disagree at times with dchall's preference for organic solutions in instances where I think synthetics are more effective, BUT neither has ever given erroneous information on turf care.

Tiemco is one of the few knowledgable "amateur" generalists (expertise on seed, sythetics and soil) left here and dchall is extremely knowlegeable on organic care.

I believe they have been extremly diplomatic in correcting your mixture of accurate information and contradictory giberish to prevent people form wasting time, effort and expense by applying some of your advice.

If I'm wrong. please feel free to cite your "garden journal" references supporting your recommendations.

Well said Grass