Nearest point of complete relief

When dropping from a path or other immovable obstruction, many golfers mistakenly believe they’re entitled to a perfect lie and line because they don't really understand, or they forget, what it is they’re taking relief from.

You are only getting relief from that specific immovable obstruction or abnormal course condition, so if the relief area measured from your nearest point of complete relief takes you unavoidably into thick rough, a bush, or behind a tree, that is where you have to drop if you elect to take free relief as there is no free relief from such elements in the general area.

Many will say “Oh, I can’t drop there because I’ll get a terrible lie, so I'll drop over here in this shorter grass.” But you don't get the free relief from thick, rough, trees, bushes, dreadful lies etc in the general area so if that is where the relief area measured from your nearest point of complete relief takes you, that is where you must drop your ball if you decide to take free relief.

It's ‘nearest’ not ‘nicest’, and the location of that spot is not negotiable. You are not guaranteed a perfect lie or line!