I believe that if you are taking relief you must stay in the same condition or take a penalty: fairway=fairway or deep rough=deep rough. Is this correct? You cant go from rough to first cut,correct?

Incorrect. The rules do not differentiate between fairway and rough, it's just through the green. Your nearest point of relief is your nearest point of relief without regard to the cut you are in and dropping to, for the most part...

Kevin

Here is an excellent tutorial on Nearest Point Of Relief.

http://www.usga.org/playing/rules/books/de...25.html#25-1b/2

Kevin

Of course, my experience with this relief is that I always end up with the bush side of the given example!!!