The player has taken free relief for his ball which was on the path. When he takes his shot, although the ball is no longer on the path, he is standing on the path. He goes ahead and plays his shot, is there a penalty?
ANSWER.. YES. For a cart path, under rule 16.1(b) interference includes the lie of the ball and the area of stance and swing. You have to take relief from all of them to create the required complete relief. If you try to take relief but are still standing on the cart path you are playing from the wrong place, per Rule 14.7 and you get the general penalty of two strokes in stroke play and loss of hole in match play.
