Rules question,...

[mikelz]

the original question was (or was supposed to be)

I think you are the victim of interpreting the rules to your advantage.

[heyscuba]

It seems 1-4/8 would apply in a situation where the post interfered, then the path, then the post, then the path, with the player having the option to play with his stance on the path if he desired. Again, I'll await the USGA's word on that, but it seems likely that may be the case. Same with 24-2b/9 to an extent.

No wonder my friend and I could not figure this out while we were out there,...

Thanks for all your input,...

[Fourputt]

I have to believe that he can declare that he is taking relief from the post alone, and deal with the cart path as separate entity. After dropping from the post he must have complete relief from that obstruction, then he can decide if he wants additional relief from the cart path or not. I see nothing in the rules which mandates that the relief must be from BOTH obstructions.

Like Erik, I'll wait until he gets a response from the USGA, but I think that they are addressed as separate issues.

[iacas]

Like Erik, I'll wait until he gets a response from the USGA, but I think that they are addressed as separate issues.

Yeah, I'm still waiting.

[Borf]

You can take relief from the post, no closer to the hole.

Then once that is accomplished, you MAY have to take relief again from a cart path.

This is perfectly acceptable and within the rules.

[Fourputt]

I'm still on the side of there being no requirement to take relief from both obstructions at once. Here is the quote from Rule 24 on relief:

b. Relief Except when the ball is in a water hazard or a lateral water hazard, a player may take relief from interference by an immovable obstruction as follows: (i) Through the Green:If the ball lies through the green, the player must lift the ball and drop it, without penalty, within one club-length of and not nearer the hole than the nearest point of relief. The nearest point of relief must not be in a hazard or on a putting green. When the ball is dropped within one club-length of the nearest point of relief, the ball must first strike a part of the course at a spot that avoids interference by the immovable obstruction and is not in a hazard and not on a putting green.

And:

A dropped ball must be re-dropped, without penalty, if it: (i) rolls into and comes to rest in a hazard; (ii) rolls out of and comes to rest outside a hazard; (iii) rolls onto and comes to rest on a putting green; (iv) rolls and comes to rest out of bounds; (v) rolls to and comes to rest in a position where there is interference by the condition from which relief was taken under Rule 24-2b (immovable obstruction), Rule 25-1 (abnormal ground conditions), Rule 25-3 (wrong putting green) or a Local Rule (Rule 33-8a), or rolls back into the pitch-mark from which it was lifted under Rule 25-2 (embedded ball);

Note that the portions that I highlighted say

"the" immovable obstruction and "the" condition from which relief is being taken. Wording is extremely important in understanding the rules, and in this case that word indicates a single obstruction or condition, never is amended to include more than one obstruction. By that wording, I'm still pretty certain that you are not required to take relief from more than one obstruction at a time. In fact, taking relief from multiple obstructions simultaneously may not even be allowed at all under the rules. As I see this rule and the terminology, you may actually have to take relief from one obstruction first, and then from the second if it still interferes, and if you so choose.

[iacas]

Note that the portions that I highlighted say

The only confusion is whether the "obstruction" is considered one and the same, as in a "state of being" or something.