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We have had numerous discussions at my course on the proper way drop off from a cart path, especially on a dogleg right, with a cart path left of the fairway. A large oak is just off the path, on the right side. At a recent tournament, our opponent wanted to drop on the left side of path to have an opening to green. I informed him that he had to drop on the closest complete relief — and that was on right side, which put the shot in direct threat of the oak. He wasn’t happy…but wasn’t I correct? – Scott Hall, via email
Weren’t you just, though! The nearest point of complete relief is indeed…wait for it…the nearest point of complete relief—in this instance, from said path, regardless of whether that results in a difficult shot afterward.
Per the Definition of Nearest Point of Complete Relief, the Rules give relief from the path, not from everything in the way. Your opponent should stop, drop and give you 20 pushups on the cart path as a mea culpa…or just learn the Rules as well as you know them.
For more cart path-related guidance from our guru, read on …
You take relief from a cart path. Your feet are still on the cart path, but you like the lie and choose to play the shot. Is that a penalty? – Tim Booker, via email
How does golf spell relief? C-O-M-P-L-E-T-E.
For a cart path, under Rule 16.1(b) interference includes the lie of the ball, the area of stance and swing. Even if only one of those things creates the original interference, you have to take relief from all of them to create the required complete (!) relief.
If you’re trying to take relief but are still standing on the cart path, you’re playing from the wrong place, per Rule 14.7, and you get the general penalty of two strokes in stroke play and loss of hole in match play.
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