Knowing the correct procedure for taking relief without penalty from an artificial path on a course has always perplexed golfers.
It’s not as simple as searching for a spot just off the path that gives you a better lie for your next shot. Here’s what you need to know about getting a free drop from a cartpath (Rule 24-2).
1. Do you know how to handle?
Determine the nearest point away from the path that allows the ball to lie and for you to stand and swing without interference. Once you’ve found the spot that provides full relief, drop within one club-length of it as long as it’s not closer to the hole. That point can’t be in a hazard, on the green, or closer to the hole when the ball lies through the green (in the rough, for example). The dropped ball must land within one club-length of that point and not closer to the hole.
2. Do you intend to swing righty or lefty?
This is important because it makes a difference as to where the nearest point of relief (which side of the cartpath) is located. The spot should be determined by using the club, stance, direction and swing you would have used if the obstruction had not been there.
3. Where is the ball located on or near the path?
Don’t assume that your nearest point of relief is always on the fairway side of the path – even if the ball is closer to that side. If the nearest-point side isn’t obvious, you’re better off measuring, or you could be taking an illegal drop.
When Is A Path Not A Path?
You’re not entitled to relief just because a path is used by carts or walkers. It’s what the path is made of that matters. Paths that are artificially surfaced (cement, wood chips, crushed shells, etc.) are considered obstructions, and you can take relief. But if your ball winds up on a path of dirt, pine straw or trampled grass that has been created by foot traffic, there is no free relief unless that area has been marked as ground under repair.
