Among the plethora of differences between your average amateur and touring professional are the benefits the latter group receives when out on the course.
From ball spotters to trampled down lies when missing the fairway by a country mile and intensely manicured fairways and greens.
Then there are drop zones. Not that amateurs aren't afforded that "luxury", but we only ever seem to be used when we've found a brook, a hedge or any number of other unplayable locations. In addition, every golf course has GUR areas that offer you the choice of a free drop or the chance to play as it lies.
Yet, for tour pros, drop zones also come into affect when they land an approach into the grandstands - set up to house the fans eager (and patient enough) to catch a glimpse of the action.
At The Open Championship, there are a number of grandstands set up at various points all over the course. And wherever they are located, a couple of drop zones are always sat close by. The question is - 'are those drop zones fair?' Let us know what you think in the comments below.
The severity of these small designated areas can vary significantly, with a couple near Royal Portrush's 15th green appearing very gentle when the alternative for an off-line golf ball is either a retake or - at the very least - a brutal up and down from 20 yards further away, which would greatly test even those contending for the Claret Jug.
That is not a luxury those competing in their club championship will benefit from this summer. You miss a green by 30 yards - good luck making par.
On the flip side, the drop zones near the 18th hole are arguably as brutal a challenge as The Open has ever seen. Some of the plant-life in the vicinity has been cleared, but the grass inside the circle still stands at around a foot high and any drop is going to cause a fair few issues.
Speaking to Golf.com's Dylan Dethier, a spokesperson from The R&A said: "We don’t want hitting the ball towards a grandstand to be a bail-out option and, therefore, where possible, we ensure that the dropping zones are not overly generous."
Asked the R&A about its gnarly drop zones. Their take:"We don’t want hitting the ball towards a grandstand to be a bail out option and therefore, where possible, we ensure that the dropping zones are not overly generous." https://t.co/teomKGwwigJuly 17, 2025
And isn't that the way it should be from a competitive standpoint? A drop zone should not be a kind of reset after a poor shot or a rule-bending tactic used by the savvy player. To that end, it would be great if every drop zone looked like those around the 18th green.
But then, the ever-present thorn in golf's side is its pace of play. Tougher drop zones would likely lead to players taking longer over the placement of the ball itself as well as increasing the likelihood of a wayward next strike.
But what do you think? Are drop zones offered to the pros fair or could they be more penal? Let us know in the comments below.
