Question
Would another type grass work better?    
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Followup To

Question -
Galveston, Texas 77551.  Grass does not grow under tree.  I pruned roots as best I could and put down top soil.  I have planted squares of St. Augustine two times this summer, but they just struggle and will not develope runners.  Most of the grass has died since last planting six weeks ago .

Answer -
It can be quite challenging to grow grass under mature trees which have dense canopies. First of all, even if enough sunlight reaches the grass (and St. Augustine is definitely the preferred for shade locations), hard compact soil as result of tree roots and lack of adequate moisture reaching below the tree canopy are major obstacles.

I normally recommend mulching from the trunk of the tree and in a circle 4-6 feet out. This way, the tree roots gets to breathe (they do not like to be covered) and you do not compete with dense canopies for moisture and sunlight.

If this is not an option for you, due to size of the yard, etc, then consider having the tree removed, or pruned (canopy opened up by an arborist) to allow more moisture and light in.

Answer
I don't think so. The choice for shade is indeed St. Augstine. If you can not make this take, then I don't think any other type will take.

One thing you could try: make sure that the soil below and around plugs of st. augustine sod is consistently moist. It could be lack of moisture which kills the sod/plugs and once it takes, it may still have enough sun to grow adequately. Once way to test this: start with new plugs/sod (if your exisiting is dead) and set up a sprinkler UNDER the canopy of the tree to make sure water do indeed reach below. Check frequently until the sod is clearly growing actively to make sure that the soil is consistently damp.

If this works, you may have to manually water below the canopy of the tree on regular basis in hot summer months.