Our yard has shady places where grass is impossible...those places have "permanent" mulch (rubber mulch needs to be topped off every now and then, hence the quote marks).
Our yard has a swampy area where water drains but not enough to really be anything but a gully...with a major spread out area on the fence side. Grass is touch and go there...we do have swamp irises and Japanese Willows to suck up some of the moisture but it's mainly mud and trenches. I'm happy that Danny learned "no swamp" so that I don't always have to hose him down all the time.
The grassy area is basically on its own. In years past we've done the sod/seeding things but were never happy. Bob isn't allowed to use anything on the grass in the backyard because of the dogs. We did have one dog whose pee yellowed things but that hasn't been the norm for us. Our secret to having a lawn that looks green and happy despite deliberate "neglect"? We have well-tended weeds. Clover. Plantain. Violets. The grass we have is the nasty stuff that likes to get into the mulched areas. But it's green and mowed religiously and unless you're standing in it and looking down at your feet, it looks like OK lawn. The bunnies love the clover and the groundhog that comes up from his den opening under our shed loves the plantain and violets...and leaves everything else in the yard alone. Funny how we have no dandelions in the backyard...I guess Mother Nature knows no one would want to eat those. (although Baffle used to pop the tops off dandelions)
(holes in the ground = aerating; yeah, we don't do that either)