What is the 90 rule for golf carts?

The 90 rule for golf carts requires cart users to keep the cart on the cart path at all times, then turn 90 degrees toward the ball only when directly adjacent to it — driving straight across the fairway, parking, and walking back to the path.

Courses enforce the 90 rule primarily to protect fairway turf from repeated cart traffic, which compacts soil and damages grass over time. Under the 90 rule, the cart path absorbs the majority of wheel traffic while the fairway sees only short, perpendicular crossings. The rule is typically posted on the cart itself or on the course's scorecard, and applies to both personal and rental carts unless the course specifies cart path only (CPO) conditions instead.

• The 90 rule limits cart crossings to a single perpendicular approach — straight across at a 90-degree angle to the ball.
• Cart path only (CPO) is a stricter condition than the 90 rule; under CPO, no fairway driving is permitted at all.
• The 90 rule is most commonly enforced after rain or during periods of soft, easily damaged turf.
• Golfers who ignore the 90 rule can face removal from the course or loss of cart privileges under most club policies.