Rules Guy: When taking relief from a cart path, can you choose which side?

The Rules of Golf offer nuanced challenges even on familiar courses. Thanks to our seasoned advisor, who masterfully navigates every aspect of the game, we can provide clear guidance. Have a question? He stands ready with comprehensive expertise.

Course discussions frequently revolve around the precise method for dropping back onto a cart path, particularly following a dogleg where the path lies short of the fairway. In a recent tournament scenario, our opponent sought to position his approach on the left side of the path to secure space toward the green. Upon advising him to use the nearest complete relief—a location on the right side bordering the oak tree near the path—I confirmed the shot would directly threaten the tree. His reaction was marked, but was my interpretation correct? – Scott Hall, via email

Indeed, the closest point of complete relief is often counterintuitive; the Rules explicitly mandate relief from the actual path rather than circumventing obstacles. Per the official Guidelines, a player must obtain relief from **all** forms of complete relief—in this context, both the lie of the ball and the area of stance and swing—to satisfy the requirement.

Should a golfer attempt to drop a ball while remaining on the cart pathway itself, they remain positioned away from the fairway and may be subject to a penalty. Under Rule 14.7, such incorrect positioning triggers punitive measures: two strokes in stroke play and a loss of the hole in match play.

Further insights into cart path strategies are available below…

When facing a drop-off necessity, playing from the correct position is essential for compliance with the Rules.

Relief procedures require precision; for any cart path situation, the applicable Section 16.1(b) outlines interference criteria. If your intervention addresses only part of the interference—such as the lie alone—the required complete relief remains unmet according to standard practice.

According to established precedent, any attempt to play a shot from within the cart pathway, even after theoretically obtaining relief elsewhere, constitutes a placement error under Rule 14.7. Failing to correct this before executing the shot incurs the prescribed penalties.

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