Direction of next shot after taking relief from a path

[Funky63]

In a recent round, my playing partners tee shot landed behind a tree meaning he had no shot to the green. His only option was to chip sideways, in order to do this he would then have to stand on an adjacent path. He asked if he was to stand on the path was he entitled to a free drop, but rather than chipping back onto the middle of the fairway, after taking the drop (he would now have a shot to the green) could he play directly towards the green rather than his originally stated intention to just chip out sideways. Although I thought he could, it felt that he had gained an unfair advantage, without a penalty.

 

[bobmac]

Sometimes the rules help you.
Go for the green

 

[backwoodsman]

As per Bobmac. Sometimes the rules help. He was fine. The relief is for the shot you are reasonably expecting/expected to play. After you've taken relief your options may well have changed for the better. (Don't forget, sometimes the available relief may well put you in a seriously disadvantaged position - as example, a drop off a path might put you behind, or even in, a bush).

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

Yesterday an approach wedge of mine landed up against the back rim of a greenside bunker. I had absolutely no shot towards any part of the green and my only shot was sideways out back down the fairway. That or take a drop in the bunker or two shots to drop out. In my head ‘not fair’ was spinning round, it hadn’t been that bad an approach.

But hey - nobody ever said golf had to be fair all of the time - hopefully the good and the bad luck level out over a round. So when its a ruling that gives me a bit of good luck I don’t feel guilty and don’t hesitate taking as much advantage of it as I can.

 

[jim8flog]

In old decisions book there was a Decision that specifically said "if you gained an advantage by using the rules then that was your good luck".

 

[Old Skier]

Has a local rule been put in place as I play on a course that specifically doesn’t allow relief from a path.

 

[rulefan]

Has a local rule been put in place as I play on a course that specifically doesn’t allow relief from a path.

Presumably your course has a local rule defining the path to be an Integral Object.

 

[Old Skier]

Presumably your course has a local rule defining the path to be an Integral Object.

Not ours but one I play also up until 10 years ago the same was in operation at Saunton but was changed after a bad accident.

 

[jim8flog]

Has a local rule been put in place as I play on a course that specifically doesn’t allow relief from a path.

As per Rulefan the path has to be declared an Integral Object by local rule (Local Rules 8F-1). A good example is the Road Hole at St Andrews (17th Hole).

 

[rulie]

As per Rulefan the path has to be declared an Integral Object by local rule (Local Rules 8F-1). A good example is the Road Hole at St Andrews (17th Hole).

And Grannie Clark's Wynd which runs across the 1st and 18th fairways of the Old Course.
IIRC, all roads and paths are integral objects on the Old Course.