Rules Explainer: Choosing a Side for Cart Path Relief

Golfers taking free relief from a cart path do not get to pick whichever side of the path gives them the easier shot. The Rules of Golf require dropping at the nearest point of complete relief, wherever that happens to fall, even if it leaves a tougher line to the green.

Can I choose which side of a cart path to drop on?

No. Under the Definition of Nearest Point of Complete Relief in the Rules of Golf, a player must identify the closest spot, no nearer the hole, where the path no longer interferes with the lie, stance or swing, and that spot governs the drop regardless of what obstacles, such as a tree, sit nearby on that side.

What counts as "interference" from a cart path?

Under Rule 16.1(b), interference includes the lie of the ball as well as the area of a player's intended stance and swing. Even if only one of those three is affected, relief must clear the path entirely from all three before the drop is complete.

Is it a penalty if I'm still standing on the cart path after dropping?

Yes. A player whose stance still touches the cart path after taking relief is playing from the wrong place under Rule 14.7, which carries the general penalty: two strokes in stroke play or loss of hole in match play.