This study was initiated to evaluate the seasonal turf performance in a tree shade and to suggest shade-tolerant turfgrasses suitable for domestic climate conditions. Atotal of 21 trufgrasses were tested, comprising of Korean lawngrass, shade-tolerant fine fescues, and newly-developed, shade-tolerant varieties of cool-season grasses. Dirrerences in shade tolerance were observed among varieties, species, and genera. Overall turf performance of C3 turfgrasses was better than that of C4 Korean lawngrass under a tree shade. Coarse-type fescues were excellent in shade tolerance, bluegrasses good, ryegrasses medium, fine-type fescues fair, and zoysiagrasses poor, respectively. Inter-species comparison in relative index of shade tolerance(IRST) demonstrated that tall fescue and fough bluegrass were greatest of 7.3, Poa supina 6.4, perennial ryegrass 5.0, Kentucky bluegrass 4.8, and fine fescues least, respectively. A great variation in RIST was observed with fine fescues; creeping red fescue was 3.6, chewings fescue 2.5, hard fescue 2.1, and sheep fescue 1.4, respectively. Among 21 turfgrasses evaluated, tall fescue 'Rebel Jr.', 'Era', and 'Oixie' and rough bluegrass 'Sabre' were the shade-tolerant varieties under a tree shade in Korea. Tall fescue, 'Rebel Jr.' was considered as the most shade-tolerant variety in the experiment. Fine fescues as creeping red fescue, chewings fescue, hare fescue, and sheep fescue, used as the shade-tolerant species in a cool climate of Europe and North America, were not suitable under domestic climate conditions.