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

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/play-ready-golf-strokes-gained-for-the-9-to-5-golfer-7640129/the-best-mid-ams-would-rather-play-than-practice-ft-jonathan-keane-mid-am-golf-hq
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/play-ready-golf-strokes-gained-for-the-9-to-5-golfer-7640129/the-best-mid-ams-would-rather-play-than-practice-ft-jonathan-keane-mid-am-golf-hq.md
Podcast: [Play Ready Golf | Strokes Gained for the 9 to 5 Golfer](https://stenobird.com/podcast/play-ready-golf-strokes-gained-for-the-9-to-5-golfer-7640129)
Published: 2026-03-27T10:00:00+00:00
Episode link: https://rss.com/podcasts/play-ready-golf/2665065
Audio file: https://content.rss.com/episodes/360796/2665065/play-ready-golf/2026_03_27_00_37_54_c044a66d-b2db-4f75-bef0-a75a5524bdbb.mp3
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Duration seconds: 3085

## Resource

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 "Glorified travel services" in golf media 26:35 Where the business brain comes from 29:05 What a mid-am event actually feels like 32:00 The Gasparilla: "the perfect amount of hard" 35:55 The reinstatement debate (full breakdown) 41:57 NIL is about to flood the mid-am circuit 42:42 Defending Stu Hagestad 44:33 How to actually break into mid-am golf 49:00 What's next on Jonathan's calendar

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