Brushing up on my rules again in prep for a tournement in the end of June.
This weekend, one of my tee shots wandered off into the woods. The ball was visible, on a relatively flat piece of dirt. There was a thorny vine directly behind it that caught my club on the backswing (it was inches behind the ball). Due to location, etc., I only had one possible angle to hit at the ball. I kind of stabbed at it with my PW and got it out of the woods, not by much.
The layout of the hole was dogleg left off the tee and I blocked it right. Fairway, cart path, then woods on the right.
Now to the question...if I had declared it an unplayable lie...there is a cart path a few feet away from the woods so if I had dropped 2 club lengths away (and no closer to the hole), I may have either dropped on the cart path or been left left standing on the cart path to hit the ball...so would I (if taking that option) then dropped further (ie, taking a second drop) to get away from the cart path, and only incurred the one stroke for the unplayable lie?
I know the other option would be to drop behind, as far back as I wished, but the design of this hole and the angle of the woods/cart path would have meant dropping 50 yards back to get back onto clear grass.

YES

Bill, so I am totally clear to my playing partners, I would announce an unplayable lie and say that I'm taking a drop.
Then I would announce that I'm taking another drop for relief from the cart path, correct?

Yes.

A sub-question: Can you call anything "unplayable lie" that sits outside a hazard? I've read somewhere about a situation where I person bladed a chip over the green and was in no-man's land and basically had no chance to get the ball close, so I was thinking the article was suggesting that he/she could call unplayable, go back to where the old shot was, with a 1 shot penalty and do it again. Is that right? Can you pretty much call anything unplayable or are their guidelines? I don't care about pissing off the guys I play with, just curious about what the limits of the rule are.

Thanks

Player may declare a ball unplayable anywhere on the course except in a hazard.
USGA Rule 28

Thanks Bill. So I think a key piece to this rule, and you can sometimes use it to your advantage as I understand it is, "The player is the sole judge as to whether his ball is unplayable."

So technically the ball could be fine, but in a situation where you don't feel you could do any better scoring than putting the ball back where it was with a 1 stroke penalty, or taking the drop.

You could have a down hill putt on a tiered green and you strike too hard that goes down the slope and off the green into a collection area. You're looking at a long putt or chip back up to the hole just to get back to where you were. You could declare that unplayable and take the stroke penalty and re-hit the last putt.

Now I know there aren't many times that taking a stroke penalty is good, but you could be in one of those sometimes so remember, the player is the sole judge of whether it's playable or not.

to clarify Bill's comment, you can't call an unplayable lie in a WATER hazard. You can call one in a bunker, but you have to drop in the bunker (so for example if your ball is plugged in the bunker face and there's gnarly grass overhanging...drop back in the flat part of the bunker).
I think I have only used that rule when my ball is in tree roots, since there's real danger hitting in that kind of lie (to self and to clubs).

Major point about relief from the cart path after the drop from the woods: The point of relief is the NEAREST POINT NO TO CLOSER TO THE HOLE. Depending on the width of the cart path, and where the ball comes to rest on the path, it's entirely possible the nearest point of relief is back in the woods

I know a few people that have been KNOWN to take "relief" in the woods. Are we talking about the same kind of relief here?

Hi barrymac,

Welcome to the site and you are correct. It depends which side of the cart path you are nearest. But, you can also measure through GUR or a cart path from that point, so relief may be in either direction.

thanks for joining in.

There is a rules question in this month's Golf or Golf Digest magazine which is similar...the point is also made that the nearest point of relief may take the obstruction out of play (ie, you give yourself a clear shot to the green) so knowing the rules can be beneficial!

Don...

"Relief" that you are talking about...Is more an "old man" thing...I know because I'm there....The other "relief" can be handled with a "toe wedge" when no one is watching...;)

Selftaughtman

Ah, but you see, Aimee and I are talking about total relief...............which includes relieving your conscience.

Ha! Ha!...
Golf Pro and comedian....
Wait till you get a little older....
"Toe wedge" comes in handy...But, opponent must not help look for ball...

Self, Not sure Bill can get much older. Not saying the man is old, but I did hear the first book he read was the bible, and I'm talking about the first one, written by hand.

It's true. Look how long it's kept me around.

It would probably benefit a few people here to carry it around..............But we know this will never happen because these same few people can't even carry a small Rules of Golf book in their bag.

BTW, Bible is Greek for book.

I know some people who would take advantage of a rule like that. Just because you are not setting yourself up closer to the hole does not mean you are not setting yourself up for an advantage.

True Jan. But they do incur a penalty stroke as well. But remember this rule as sometime it could be useful to you too.

Here's an example: I hit my ball into the treeline. My ball is lying next to a root. If I hit it from there, I risk injury and/or damaging my club (plus likely to not make good contact with the ball). I'll gladly take a stroke penalty to save my wrist or my club from breaking.
Example #2: ball lands in knee-high fescue. I know that I couldn't possibly hit it out, or if I do, it's going about 2 feet and staying in the "stuff". So after 2 strokes I will have advanced the ball 2 feet. If I take a drop, then hit from a reasonable lie, I advance the ball 150 yards.
It's not cheating, it's weighing the result vs. the penalty.