Surface · four holes a round
Cart Paths — Free Distance on Links and River Holes
A narrow path running up the side of links and river holes toward the green. Land on it and the ball runs along the path, about twice as far as fairway.
What it is
Links and river holes — four in every round — have a cart path. It starts about a quarter of the way up the hole, to one side of the fairway, and runs to just beside the green. It is narrow, a thin strip next to the fairway.
How it rolls
A ball that lands on the path stops following its own direction and runs along the path toward the green instead. The surface rolls about twice as far as fairway, so a driver or wood, which already roll the most, can gain a large amount of distance. Wedges barely roll anywhere, so the path does little for them.
What it costs
The path never costs a penalty, but the ball can run off its end into the rough beside the green, and playing from the path itself costs a little carry and widens the spread. Cart paths do not cross the river: on river holes, a ball that runs off the path into the water is wet.
How to play it
On a long, straight links hole, aim a long club at the start of the path and let it run. On shorter holes, or when the path would deliver the ball beside a bunker, ignore it. Its biggest value is when the path’s direction points straight at the green.