The Best Mid-Ams Would Rather Play Than Practice ft. Jonathan Keane | Mid Am Golf HQ

From Play Ready Golf | Strokes Gained for the 9 to 5 Golfer by Isaak Ramsey & Hayden Zimmerer | Smarter Golf Practice in Less Time

March 27, 2026 · 51 min · Episode 13

About this episode

Jonathan Keane discusses the practice habits of elite mid-amateurs and the impact of NIL money on competitive amateur golf.

Jonathan Keane carries a +2.8 handicap and plays tournaments at Pine Valley, Garden City, and Oakmont. Instead of chasing his own game, he built Mid-Am Golf HQ to cover the most competitive amateur circuit in the country. In this episode, Jonathan breaks down how elite mid-amateurs actually practice, what the reinstatement debate gets wrong, how to break into the invitational circuit, and why NIL money is about to change competitive amateur golf. Follow Mid-Am Golf HQ: @midamgolfhq on Instagram Newsletter: nichegolfhq.com If you want a structured practice plan that fits your schedule, try Play Ready Golf free for 7 days 👉 https://playready.golf/the-app 0:00 The reinstatement test nobody expected 0:12 Why a +2.8 covers everyone else's game 1:16 The moment that started Mid-Am Golf HQ 3:06 How COVID accidentally built a platform 4:33 Competitive golf after college hits different 9:57 How a +2.8 actually practices 12:14 The best mid-ams skip the range 13:29 What 9 to 5 golfers get wrong about practice 14:02 The 4-4-4-4 drill method 15:44 Building a newsletter with 82% open rate 18:00 Why some tournaments are a "black box" 20:30 Building Niche Golf HQ (juniors, seniors, events) 24:42…

People in this episode

Hosts: Isaak Ramsey, Hayden Zimmerer

Guest: Jonathan Keane

Topics covered

mid-amateur golf
competitive golf
golf practice methods
NIL in golf
amateur tournaments

Keywords

mid-amateur
golf practice
NIL money
tournaments
competitive amateur golf

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Mid-Am Golf HQ, Niche Golf HQ

Places: Pine Valley, Garden City, Oakmont