Should there be circumstances where you can not get relief from the cart path?
There may be reasons that free relief from the cart path is not permitted, and the usual reason would be if the integrity of the design of the hole could be compromised by taking relief from the cart path. The committee has the authority to declare cart paths (or any Immovable Obstruction) to be integral parts of the course. In such cases free relief under Rule 24-2 Immovable Obstruction is not available.
Relief options are always awkward when a cart path (or any immovable obstruction) abut a (Lateral) Water Hazard. Without seeing a wider view of the area it is not possible to give an authoritative opinion but a few points.
- is there anyway the margin of the hazard can be moved more than 2 club lengths to the left? If so this awkward situation could be eliminated by having the margin an appreciable distance from the cart path.
- other have remarked about the positioning of the line on the path. It would be much preferable to have it painted on the very edge of the path or just inside the edge of the cart path, making all the path out of the hazard. As marked, if the ball came to rest on the path inside the margin of the hazard, the player would have to play the ball as it lies or proceed under the water hazard rule - penalty 1 stroke, free relief is not available.
- in taking relief from the water hazard the player, under Rule 26-1c, can drop within 2 club lengths of the last point of entry into the LWH, no nearer the hole. That area would include the cart path, and if the ball came to rest on the cart path or in a position where the player had interference from the cart path, the player would have the option to drop proceed under Rule 24-2 - Immovable Obstruction. That would be a second procedure from taking relief from the hazard, the relief procedure cannot be combined into 1 procedure.
- it is not uncommon to use both stakes and paint when marking a hazard. In such cases, the stakes identify the hazard and the line defines the margin of the hazard. Using both stakes and lines is used when the Committee wants players to be able to see the hazard from a distance. The stakes are visible when the line is not. The common practice is to place the stakes on the line or outside the line, it is unusual to place them inside the hazard. Doing so may bring some complications if the stakes are immovable or a player's ball comes to rest in a hole made by a stake that has not been replaced.
Hope this helps.