Is the Grass Greener?

I am learning new things everyday. For once though, I would like to learn how to make my grass greener!! I employ anyone that has some basic ideas to please help me out. The shaded areas tend to be lush and green but the spot that is beat with the sun all day is crunchy and brown....most of the time. A friend said to me, "The grass isn't always greener on the otherside. If you want your grass greener then you need to water it". Now, we weren't talking about gardening but I thought the point was awesome none the less! I have a tremendous amount of weeds in the death zone so I fear watering would only encourage their growth. Do I put up a sail to shade the area? Do I use chemicals? HELP!!!