Your ball stops next to the cart path, and suddenly everyone in the foursome is a rules official. Here is how free relief really works under Rule 16.1.
When is cart path relief free?
When a fixed cart path interferes with your ball, intended stance or area of intended swing, you can generally play the ball as it lies or take free relief, provided the ball is in the general area. A cart path simply on your line of play off the putting green normally is not enough.
How to take your drop
- Find the nearest point of complete relief that is no nearer the hole.
- Measure a relief area of one club-length from that point, in the general area and not nearer the hole.
- Drop your original ball or another ball from knee height; the ball must come to rest in the relief area with complete relief.
The weekend golfer mistake
The nearest point of complete relief is not necessarily the nicest lie. You cannot simply choose the fairway side of the path because it looks better. And if playing the ball would be clearly unreasonable because of something else, free relief under Rule 16.1 is not available.
Fore Alarm takeaway: Know the ruling before your buddy invents one. Golf is serious. We're not.
Sources: USGA cart path and sprinkler relief; USGA dropping procedure.
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