Relief question, two cart paths

millsan1

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SO yesterday I had a situation and I was not sure how to resolve it.

I hit a ball and it ended up on the cart path next to the green. Easy enough, just take relief away from the green.

The tricky but was this was a u-turn type cart path, with a narrow dirt area between the two paths.

Meaning, from left to right:
Green
Cart Path (where my ball was)
narrow dirt area (1' or so)
Cart Path
Teeing area for the next hole

I took my relief in the teeing area. I believe I probably should have dropped int eh 1' dirt area, but for a variety of reasons I didn't. (didn't want to tear up the dirt area, not a scoring round, I was unsure about the relief)

So what was the right thing to do?
 
If you take your drop in that little strip and are standing on the other cart path to hit that shot, you are entitled to more relief from that 2nd path. At least that is how I understand it.
 
I believe you're entitled to 1 club length of relief from the edge of the path on the side farthest from the green. If that placed you into the teeing area your drop was proper, IMHO.

ETA: Plus what ddec said. The narrow strip would have forced a stance on the path, and you would be entitled to relief from there no nearer the hole.
 
I believe you're entitled to 1 club length of relief from the edge of the path on the side farthest from the green. If that placed you into the teeing area your drop was proper, IMHO.

ETA: Plus what ddec said. The narrow strip would have forced a stance on the path, and you would be entitled to relief from there no nearer the hole.

I agree with the above.
 
Crow-hop and throw golf ball as hard as possible toward the green. Easy peasy.
 
OK, thanks for the clarification guys. Makes sense.
 
I believe that cart paths entitle you to NEAREST complete relief- whether it's closer to the green or not. If the ball is on the green side, you drop on that side where you get complete relief from path. If it's on the other side of the path, you could drop in the strip, but if you don't have COMPLETE relief, you move to the tee side for relief, no penalty. Drops aren't ALWAYS 'furthest from the hole'. Similar to if a ball rolls back off a green into a hazard- you don't have to drop on the other side of the hazard 'furthest from the hole', you get to drop near the green at the point where it crossed into the hazard.
 
Hard to visualize the actual layout but typically relief is nearest point of relief no closer to the hole. As for sequencing, you address one situation at a time. If relief from the first point puts you in another cart path, you can’t take relief from the second one until you have completed relief from the first.
 
Sounds like your drop choice was acceptable.

I would stand behind the ball and face the hole, from there, I would locate nearest point of relief whether that went to the right or the left 90 degrees from the direction i was facing (towards the hole)
 
Hard to visualize the actual layout but typically relief is nearest point of relief no closer to the hole. As for sequencing, you address one situation at a time. If relief from the first point puts you in another cart path, you can’t take relief from the second one until you have completed relief from the first.

Here is the idea. Please note my excellent graphic artist skills.

White spot on left path is where ball came to rest.

uc
 
Relief question, two cart paths

Here is the idea. Please note my excellent graphic artist skills.

White spot on left path is where ball came to rest.

uc

Dimensions are necessary. See the below for relief from a path.

http://chesapeakegolf.com/taking-cart-path-relief/

My guess is you probably should have gone the other way. Since the ball would have to have been moved a lesser distance left than right. If you go right the first drop is probably on the cart path or to the right of that path. This would move the ball farther than If you went left
 
If you could get a reasonable stance on dirt then you should start there. If you dropped and got stance back on path then keep getting relief. If the dirt did not provide a reasonable chance to get a stance then the closest point of relief is closer to the green. Once you have that figured out then you figure out how to not be closer to the hole.

For me if I was in tournament play and there was more than 4 feet of dirt between the paths I would say to drop in the dirt.
 
Dimensions are necessary. See the below for relief from a path.

http://chesapeakegolf.com/taking-cart-path-relief/

My guess is you probably should have gone the other way. Since the ball would have to have been moved a lesser distance left than right. If you go right the first drop is probably on the cart path or to the right of that path. This would move the ball farther than If you went left

I am not clear how I could have gone left, but not gone closer to the hole, which is to the left. Please help me understand.
 
If you could get a reasonable stance on dirt then you should start there. If you dropped and got stance back on path then keep getting relief. If the dirt did not provide a reasonable chance to get a stance then the closest point of relief is closer to the green. Once you have that figured out then you figure out how to not be closer to the hole.

For me if I was in tournament play and there was more than 4 feet of dirt between the paths I would say to drop in the dirt.

Dirt is about 1' wide, so my stance would have been cart path. So any idea how I could have taken relief to the left, but not been closer to the hole? I ask in sincerity.
 
Dirt is about 1' wide, so my stance would have been cart path. So any idea how I could have taken relief to the left, but not been closer to the hole? I ask in sincerity.

Maybe a 45° angle away from the hole? What's the course name and hole #? @millsan1
 
Last edited:
Geometry is your friend here. Lets say the pin is in the back of the green. From your ball start walking in an arc towards the front of the green to until you get full relief from the path. So in your diagram the flag would be on the top of the diagram and your would take your shot from further on the bottom of the diagram, not just a straight out from where the ball is on the path. If the pin was on the front of the green then take the same arc towards the back of the green.
 
I am not clear how I could have gone left, but not gone closer to the hole, which is to the left. Please help me understand.

Sorry, you are right, wasn't thinking about the green on the left. Your nearest point of releif is behind you where you dropped. Since the dirt is only 1 foot wide you can't get full relief there so you have to continue right.
 
With that diagram it makes it clearer. You would drop on the green side, but down across where the dirt starts (on that diagram)


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I believe that cart paths entitle you to NEAREST complete relief- whether it's closer to the green or not. If the ball is on the green side, you drop on that side where you get complete relief from path. If it's on the other side of the path, you could drop in the strip, but if you don't have COMPLETE relief, you move to the tee side for relief, no penalty. Drops aren't ALWAYS 'furthest from the hole'. Similar to if a ball rolls back off a green into a hazard- you don't have to drop on the other side of the hazard 'furthest from the hole', you get to drop near the green at the point where it crossed into the hazard.

The "green" is not relevant. What matters is the hole, and in no case is relief permitted closer to the hole than where the ball lay.
 
Yeah, I kinda got mixed up on that one with the greenside hazard thing. The cart path thing is 'no closer to the hole', so the area across from where the 'dirt' starts on the diagram on the greenside would be the area. On the 'hole' side, but not 'closer' to it.
 
Imagine you have a piece of string tethered to the hole and you pull it tight and then walk along that arc until you reach the nearest point where you have full relief (not standing on the cath path AKA "immovable obstruction"). Based on the diagram and ball position, that would be back and to the left of the cart path.

Rule 24-2 is the one you want to reference:

b. Relief
Except when the ball is in a water hazard or a lateral water hazard, a player may take relief from interference by an immovable obstruction as follows:

(i)

Through the Green: If the ball lies through the green, the player must lift the ball and drop it, without penalty, within one club-length of and not nearer the hole than the nearest point of relief. The nearest point of relief must not be in a hazard or on a putting green. When the ball is dropped within one club-length of the nearest point of relief, the ball must first strike a part of the course at a spot that avoids interference by the immovable obstruction and is not in a hazard and not on a putting green.

http://www.usga.org/rules/rules-and-decisions.html#!rule-24
 
Here is the idea. Please note my excellent graphic artist skills.

White spot on left path is where ball came to rest.

uc

I’m late to the game but I think the rule is you take relief to the nearest point of release no closer to the hole. That looks like the dirt. If that has you standing on a path you have the option of taking relief again. It isn’t mandatory. If you take relief you repeat the above (nearest point of relief no closer to the hole).


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I’m late to the game but I think the rule is you take relief to the nearest point of release no closer to the hole. That looks like the dirt. If that has you standing on a path you have the option of taking relief again. It isn’t mandatory. If you take relief you repeat the above (nearest point of relief no closer to the hole).


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See I always thought you have to take full relief. And if you are still standing on a cart path that is not full relief. I am not able to look it up but am fairly certain that is the case. If not, then that surprises me.
 
See I always thought you have to take full relief. And if you are still standing on a cart path that is not full relief. I am not able to look it up but am fairly certain that is the case. If not, then that surprises me.

I’m not sure of the rule but that’s my understanding as well, you have to take full relief.
I think it Jordan a couple of years ago taking relief from casual water and there was an issue with his toes possibly being in the water he took relief from. I think anyway.


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This is one of the reasons I love golf. Every choice is clear as mud.
 
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