Lawns can indeed be high-maintenance in our area, so we encourage residents to replace lawn (or portions of the lawn) with alternative plantings when possible. This may be more expensive and labor-intensive at the start, but over time should need less maintenance and inputs (like fertilizer, irrigation, or pesticides) than a lawn would to keep it thriving. It will also be of much greater benefit to wildlife.

A good first step is to have your soil tested, especially for areas you wish to keep as lawn. A laboratory test is the most accurate method (compared with at-home kits) and will let you know what the nutrient levels currently are as well as the acidity (pH). You may discover a nutrition or pH issue that is keeping the lawn from growing well, creating a chronic stress that results in greater vulnerability to disease. This page provides more explanation about soil testing and how to interpret results: https://extension.umd.edu/resource/soil-testing-and-soil-testing-labs

Applying any form of nutrients to the lawn needs to comply with the Maryland Fertilizer Law. (With regards to that chart, your sod was probably a tall fescue blend, not fine fescue.) Coffee grounds contain nitrogen, though in low amounts and they may not release it well until first composted. A better use of grinds would be to add them to a compost pile for use elsewhere in the garden. They are not necessarily (if ever) acidic and would not be expected to significantly alter soil pH.

We do not have any scientific indication that coffee grounds will attract, suppress, or repel insect pests, diseases, and/or deer. The use of coffee grounds on lawns in particular is still being studied. Deer would be much more interested in some of the plants in the yard than the grounds, since there are many common garden plants they find tasty. (How much of a nuisance they'll be depends on what you're growing and how over-populated your local herds are.) You can read more about use of coffee grounds in the yard here:

https://s3.wp.wsu.edu/uploads/sites/403/2015/03/coffee-grounds.pdf

https://www.agriculture.purdue.edu/agcomm/newscolumns/archives/YGnews/2006/February/060216YG.htm

Turfgrasses are challenging to grow well in Maryland, and a wide range of factors could be causing your lawn to struggle. We have information pages on many topics of lawn care, which you can browse through starting here: https://extension.umd.edu/resources/yard-garden/lawns/lawn-care-and-maintenance

If you aren't certain which issues might be affecting your lawn, you are welcome to share photos of its overall appearance (plus any particularly troublesome spots) here. The most important characteristics of good growing conditions for turf include a full sun exposure (6-8 hours or more of direct light in summer), soil that drains well and doesn't stay soggy for long, and for younger lawns at least, routine fertilization based on the results of a soil test. Poor drainage due to compaction or a low-lying wet spot can be difficult to correct, so switching to different plantings that are more tolerant of wetness is more practical in those areas. Tree roots growing in the area (plus shade from their branches) can also cause grass to thin-out and decline. Additionally, several grassy weeds, some of which can look very similar to desirable turfgrass, can also infiltrate the lawn and fall into decline when they become infected or stressed before the desirable grasses would, creating a ragged or patchy look to the lawn as a whole.

Miri