Approach Shots

How to

Shots & Strokes

How To Drop Off A Cart Path

Golf Digest rules editor Ron Kaspriske on the do's and don'ts of when you can drop off a cart path.

Released on 4/18/2016

Transcript

00:00

Hi, I'm Ron Kaspriske, editor of

00:02

the rules page here at Golf Digest.

00:03

In our September issue on page 50,

00:05

we talk a little bit about what to do

00:07

when you need to take relief from a cart path.

00:09

Here you see two golf balls where you might get relief

00:11

under 24-2 in the rules of golf book

00:13

entitled Immovable Obstruction.

00:16

Where you get relief though, depends on whether

00:18

you're a right-handed player or a left-handed player.

00:20

And by that I mean if you intended to hit your next shot

00:23

as a right-hander, well that's where you would take relief.

00:26

So, let me show you first with this ball on my left

00:28

which is on the cart path.

00:30

Now, obviously we get relief without penalty here,

00:32

we can move this ball.

00:33

So, as a right-hander, what I would do,

00:35

is I would find the nearest point of relief,

00:37

that allows me to stand and swing

00:39

without interference from the cart path.

00:41

That's gonna be over here.

00:44

Now, think of this area here as sort of a

00:46

piece of pie, if you will.

00:48

I'm allowed to drop anywhere in this area here,

00:51

that's one club-length from my nearest point

00:53

of relief and no closer to the hole.

00:56

So I would hold my arm out, shoulder length,

00:58

and just let the ball drop.

01:00

There's my new lie, without penalty,

01:02

and now I can hit my 9-iron shot into the green.

01:05

I'm a right-handed player, but let's assume for a second

01:07

I'm left-handed, I'm Phil Mickelson and I was

01:09

gonna play this next shot as a lefty.

01:11

My nearest point-of-relief to get my free drop

01:13

from this cart path is gonna be on this side.

01:15

The green is there, I can obviously see that

01:18

I can stand and swing over here as a lefty,

01:20

without interference from the cart path.

01:22

Unfortunately, it's the rough.

01:25

But that's the part of the breaks of golf.

01:26

If I was a right-hander, of course we would be on that side

01:28

but here, as a lefty, I'd have to go to this side.

01:31

Now here we have another situation

01:33

where you might be entitled to relief but again, it depends

01:36

on whether you're swinging left-handed or right-handed.

01:38

So, as a right-handed player,

01:40

there's my green right there,

01:42

I certainly don't get relief from this situation

01:44

because my stance, my swing, and the ball

01:46

are not interfered-with by the cart path.

01:49

However, if I'm Phil Mickelson and I'm playing

01:51

this as a lefty, well, guess what?

01:53

The only way I would normally play this shot

01:55

is if I were standing on the cart path.

01:57

Now indeed, I can still play this ball if I want

01:59

but I'm also entitled to free relief,

02:01

and I'll show you where you would drop.

02:02

In this case, the nearest point-of-relief

02:04

for the left-hander is also gonna be on this side.

02:07

It's closer than that side would be.

02:10

So, I'm gonna be able to take a drop

02:11

somewhere in this zone, again no closer to the hole,

02:14

within one club-length of my nearest

02:15

point-of-relief which is right about here.

02:17

So, I would just drop, and then move on.

02:20

There's one more thing to consider

02:21

when dropping under rule 20-2.

02:23

The drop-zone is where the ball should land.

02:26

However, it can roll up to two club-lengths

02:29

including outside the drop-zone,

02:31

as long as it's no closer to the hole,

02:33

and you're still OK to play your next shot.

02:35

We know the rules of golf can be confusing,

02:38

even for us at Golf Digest.

02:39

So if you're still not sure, please consult the

02:41

Rules of Golf book or your local PGA pro.

02:43

Thanks for watching.