Where to Take Relief From A Cart Path
By Gary Hill - RCGA Rules Official

1. You must determine your nearest point of relief from the cart path which is not nearer the hole, not in a hazard, and not on a putting green.

Starting to the right side of the cart path, you would take a stance with the club with which you expect to play your next shot. Place your heels off the cart path and ground your club. Play a tee in the ground at the middle of your club face. This place will be approximately one yard from the cart path.

Go to the left side of the cart path. Take another stance where your grounded club is clear of the cart path. Place another tee in the ground at the middle of your clubface. This place will be approximately four inches from the cart path.

Measure the distance from your ball to each tee (many such trials may be needed on a curving cart path). The tee that is CLOSEST to your BALL is the nearest point of relief. There can be only one NEAREST point of relief.

If the cart path is forty feet wide, I can safely assume that the nearest point of relief would be on the right side of the cart path. However, if the cart path is only six inches wide, a stance off the right side of the cart path would put your grounded club at LEAST a yard from the ball while a stance off the left side of the cart path would place your grounded club at MOST one foot from the ball. With a very, very narrow cart path, no matter which side of the cart path the ball lies nearest, the nearest point of relief would be on the left side of the cart path.

Sometimes the nearest point of relief may be obvious without repeated trials and measuring, but no automatic assumptions should be made just be looking at the ball in relation to which side of the cart path the ball is nearer.

2. Once you have determined this nearest point of relief, you are allowed to drop a ball within one club length (any club may be used here) of this point which is not nearer the hole, not in a hazard, not on a wrong putting green and avoids interference by the cart path. Remember, complete relief MUST be taken when taking relief from an immovable obstruction, an abnormal ground condition (ground under repair, casual water, etc.), or a wrong putting green.

TIP: Do not touch your ball until AFTER you have determined your nearest point of relief and marked out the area where you are required to drop. That way, if for some reason you decide not to take relief from the cart path (e.g. your drop area turns out to be in the jungle), you are not penalized for lifted your ball without taking the drop.

Note: My apologies to left handed players since all the stated points will NOT be the nearest points of relief for lefties.