Comments on: STOP! Don’t Touch that Ball on the Cart Path

By: Ryan Gregg

Ryan Gregg — Sun, 17 Jul 2011 22:24:33 +0000

David,
The player was required to take complete relief. When he played a stroke at the ball while still standing on the cart path he incurred a two stroke penalty in stroke play or a loss of hole in match play under Rule 24-2.

By: David roberts

David roberts — Sun, 17 Jul 2011 15:58:00 +0000

A player has a cart path obstructing his stance. He drops the ball, improving his lie, but he elects to hit his next shot with his foot on the cart path from which he sought relief. I believe he must take COMPLETE RELIEF. He chose to hit it with his foot on the path to improve his line to the pin because a tree was more in his line if he hit it having taken COMPLETE RELIEF.

Am I correct.

By: Ryan Gregg

Ryan Gregg — Fri, 18 Jun 2010 16:19:56 +0000

Bob,
The player’s nearest point of relief may not be out of bounds, which sounds like the situation you have described. So the player would have to drop on the golf course side of the cart path. If it is possible to determine the player’s nearest point of relief on the course and at a spot that happens to be in a place where the ball will be unplayable when dropped, than the player would have to drop in that spot.

By: Bob Jung

Bob Jung — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 20:51:03 +0000

We had a situation today where a player hit his drive and it landed on the left side of the cart part and rested in-bounds on the left edge of the cart path. The nearest point of relief was on the left side. There is a hedge on the left side of the cart path making it impossible to take a drop and stay in-bounds. It also prevents the player from taking a stance. He took relief on the right side of the cart(no penalty)no closer to the hole. Was this correct or should he have gone back to the teeing ground or taken an unplayable lie?

By: Ryan Gregg

Ryan Gregg — Tue, 15 Jun 2010 13:54:13 +0000

Wayne,
It is up to the Committee to define those paths. By definition, any artificially surfaced path is an obstruction and a player would be entitled to relief under Rule 24. However, if the Committee wishes to treat the gravel paths as integral parts of the course they need to notify the players.

By: Wayne Lauck

Wayne Lauck — Tue, 15 Jun 2010 02:49:46 +0000

The course I play has both gravel and concrete cart paths. Someone told me you can not take relief from a gravel cart path without penalty. Is there a difference in the rules between concrete and gravel cart paths?

By: Ryan Gregg

Ryan Gregg — Sun, 21 Feb 2010 14:49:35 +0000

Ted,
Rule 24-2 states that the nearest point of relief cannot be in a hazard, on a putting green, out of bounds or nearer the hole. The player would have to determine the nearest point of relief on the other side of the obstruction.

By: Ted Chia

Ted Chia — Sat, 20 Feb 2010 15:17:43 +0000

Hi, I have a Question:
What if the nearest point of relief from the cart path has been properly determined and is in the hazard or putting green or is out of bounds, does it mean that there is no nearest point of relief for that particular situation and that the player needs to play the ball as it lies on the cart path or has to take a penalty drop?

By: John Vander Borght

John Vander Borght — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 18:08:22 +0000

Howard,
The USGA’s Decisions on the Rules of Golf has some diagrams that might be helpful. Decision 25-1b/2 is a good reference. You can find it by cutting and pasting this link: http://www.usga.org/bookdecision.aspx?id=14303#25-1b/2

By: Howard Paul

Howard Paul — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 17:21:25 +0000

It is very unclear which 2 club lengths and which one club length from what point. I might suggest a graphic would help people a lot. For instance show the cart path. Show the 2 points for consideration ie left and right of Cart path. Then show the drop zone with a circle (2 club length or 1 club length). If thereis a book you know of that illustrates this already let me know I’ll buy one today!