hardpan Welcome hardpan. I've not joined in any other forums having only previously been on FGI and, now Golfbuzz, and finding it mostly to my liking. I look in on GolfWRX and THP every now and then, but something about the layout of GEA didn't seem very intuitive and I never go there unless a Google search result steers me that way.
I'm actually a big fan of hard pan. I live down south and when I pull one into the trees, I hope I find a place where the shade and roots from the oaks have thinned out the grass. Much rather hit off the dirt than out of 3 - 4 inch high bermuda.