Relief NEAR Boundary Fence

[Golfingdad]

Fourputt seemed uncertain and nobody else has stepped up and given a definitive answer.

I disagree.  There are a lot of answers in here, combined with some citations and diagrams, that made the answer to my question quite clear and easy to understand.

Step 1:  Determine NPR (from path only) based on the shot you'd intend to play were any other obstructions (boundary fence in this case) not present.  That would be where you'd be standing on or behind the fence.

Step 2:  After the drop, determine the shot you'd like to play - most likely left handed in this case.  If you happen to be standing on the cart path, now you get relief from the path.  And since your swing (were the path not there) was going to be left handed, then your NPR is determined with that swing.  Quite likely, that point is now on the "course" side of the path.  Take your drop.

Step 3:  Now you get to turn around and swing right handed, but it's also entirely likely that you're standing on the path AGAIN!!  If you want, you get to drop again, and this is going to be even further "course-side" from where you already are.

Step 4:  Play the shot.

The end.

[MEfree]

For the sake of clarity I would proceed through all of the steps, not skipping any. If a lefty shot is reasonable, find the NPR for that and drop. Since you have a club length, if you knew you were then going to likely play righty, you could use your driver for that club length and eliminate a step, and still be doing your due diligence. It might require only one drop in that case.

Yes, I was thinking that dropping at a spot that is within 1 club length of NPR for a right handed shot AND a left handed shot could allow you to skip a step.  However, what if it rolls outside legal dropping distance for the opposite side, but not the side you intent to play from (or vise versa).  Then what, re-drop or not?  Also, what if you want to use your full club length- seems like it would be good to know the rule definitively.

I disagree.  There are a lot of answers in here, combined with some citations and diagrams, that made the answer to my question quite clear and easy to understand.

Step 1:  Determine NPR (from path only) based on the shot you'd intend to play were any other obstructions (boundary fence in this case) not present.  That would be where you'd be standing on or behind the fence.

Step 2:  After the drop, determine the shot you'd like to play - most likely left handed in this case.  If you happen to be standing on the cart path, now you get relief from the path.  And since your swing (were the path not there) was going to be left handed, then your NPR is determined with that swing.  Quite likely, that point is now on the "course" side of the path.  Take your drop.

Step 3:  Now you get to turn around and swing right handed, but it's also entirely likely that you're standing on the path AGAIN!!  If you want, you get to drop again, and this is going to be even further "course-side" from where you already are.

Step 4:  Play the shot.

The end.

I agree with most of what you said, but Fourputt seemed less than 100% certain on the highlighted part

.

Actually in this scenario you might have to take relief 3 times.  First for playing right handed when the ball lies on the path.  You drop on the OB side of the path, and now your only swing is left handed, so you take relief on the opposite side, still with a lefty stance (I think - this is getting a little sticky here) as that is what you are taking relief for.  This now allows you to swing righty again, but now you are again standing on the path, so you get relief even farther on that side of the path.

I believe that ultimately you end up in the same place, but the only uncertainty in my mind is the lefty stance for finding NPR on the second drop.

[Golfingdad]

Yes, I was thinking that dropping at a spot that is within 1 club length of NPR for a right handed shot AND a left handed shot could allow you to skip a step.

FWIW, if we're talking about a casual round or friendly wager between friends, I think it's prudent to combine them all into one step.  There is no need to go through the rigamarole of the entire process when it's obvious what the final result will be.

But always side with caution and deliberation when you're in a tournament.  Anything that involves an assumption , just ignore that. ;)