When do I get free relief from ground under repair, a cart path or temporary water?

These are abnormal course conditions: animal holes, ground under repair, immovable obstructions (such as cart paths and sprinkler heads) and temporary water. You get free relief when:

• your ball touches or lies in or on the condition, or
• the condition physically interferes with your stance or swing, or
• on the putting green only, it is on your line of play.

Being merely distracted by it isn't interference. There's no relief if the ball is in a penalty area, or if playing it is clearly unreasonable because of something else (for example, the ball is stuck in a bush).

How to take relief in the general area:

1. Find the nearest point of complete relief, not nearer the hole, where there's no interference at all.
2. Drop the ball within one club-length of that point, not nearer the hole, in the general area.
3. You must take complete relief from the condition.

In a bunker: take free relief in the bunker, or for one penalty stroke, drop back-on-the-line outside the bunker.

Source: Rules of Golf (2023), Rule 16.1.