Ball comes to rest in a dirt hole 2 feet off cart path.

[Ignorant]

This is one of those 'You have to be there to give a definitive answer'. It all depends on too many local variables.

What is the state of the course in general? Is it likely to be in play given the standard of the players in the competition? Has the competition already started? Have any others played this hole already?

The bolded is what I was after in my post #33. If an area is so far away from the target that it is not expected the players to hit their balls there we normally leave those areas unmarked.

And yes, you need to be there to decide but I was only taking up general principles, which apparently vary amongst the posters.