Tamarack Resort revives its Osprey Meadows golf course in the Idaho mountains

DONNELLY, Idaho - Picture a really beautiful golf course overgrown with long grass, debris in the bunkers and weeds everywhere.

Depressing, right?

That's what Robert Trent Jones, Jr. and associate Bruce Charlton saw in 2022 when they returned to Osprey Meadows, a course they had laid out at Tamarack Resort in 2005. Tamarack, a ski village two hours north of Boise, shuttered Osprey Meadows in the fall of 2014 during some lean years post-Recession but was ready to get back into the game. New resort management brought Charlton and RTJ2 back to revive a sleeping green giant that used to bully golfers and transform it into something more enjoyable.

Osprey Meadows - originally rated with a 155 slope, the maximum allowed by the United States Golf Association - reopened earlier this year with a modified routing and a few interesting new twists, including a fun "bonus" 19th hole and putting course. I'd argue its triumphant return ranks among the most remarkable golf course comebacks ever.

"It wasn't just another golf course," Robert Trent Jones Jr. said about the Osprey Meadows' revival. "This was one, in that year, that won best new course in the nation. When that happens, it's like a major loss to the game because people travel long distances to play best new courses in the nation. Not just the Boise people. Golfers seek it out like skiers seek out a mountain with the best snow. That was painful (when it closed).

"However, when we came back, two years ago...we were all in it for the same reasons: to restore it and refine it."

Teeing up Osprey Meadows 2.0

Stunning natural beauty remains the allure of playing Osprey Meadows. Although still difficult with a slope rating of 142 from the 7,447-yard tips, Osprey Meadows does deliver some really fun moments typical of a world-class resort course. It sits at an elevation of nearly 5,000 feet (the mountain summit climbs to 7,700), meaning the ball will fly farther for most visitors.

The new layout starts in an open meadow before wandering into the forest, encountering ponds, a creek, wetlands and elevation changes along the way. A few elevated tees deliver long-range views of 47-square-mile Cascade Lake.

Jones' top priority was eliminating some of the 14 original forced carries, especially on the difficult par-5 18th hole, which required players to leapfrog trouble multiple times. The rerouting pushed most holes into different positions, including moving that original finishing hole to no. 16. That hole remains quirky, playing as a 412-yard par 4 or 611-yard par 5 depending on which tees you use, and ending at a tiny, narrow green. Most will play it as a par 5, making Osprey Meadows a brawny par 73 with six par 5s and five par 3s.

Even with fewer hazards, I'd bet the over-under for lost balls is at least 3 for most players. I gave away four, including the tee shot of the 264-yard, all-carry fourth, a rare par 3 that ranks as a No. 1 handicap hole. What golfers shoot hardly matters, though, when their heads on are a swivel admiring the stunning surroundings.

Golf is actually just a small part of Tamarack Resort. My spacious lodge room came equipped with a full-size fridge and microwave. Guests can easily walk to restaurants and shops located in the ski village. Families can gather for outdoor concerts or try to master the art of axe-throwing. Hikers and mountain bikers take on the trails. The lake provides the chance to get out on the water for fishing, sporting or chillin'. Real estate lots and million-dollar homes can turn Tamarack into a second home if you're truly inspired to stay longer.

Is Idaho's Treasure Valley becoming a golf destination?

Osprey's rebirth suddenly transforms the entire region of Idaho's Treasure Valley into a worthy golf destination, especially for golfers within driving distance or who can fly direct into Boise. City slickers from Portland, Seattle and California's Bay Area already flock to the region for its year-round outdoor recreation. The drive from Boise to Tamarack can be slow, but the mountain scenery is off the charts. The entertaining part is watching dozens of people kayaking and white-water rafting the epic rapids of the Payette River.

One of Idaho's best public courses, Jug Mountain Ranch is just a short 20-minute drive north from the resort. It starts off the round in epic fashion: a tee shot that drops nearly 100 feet off of a perch beside the clubhouse. Like Osprey Meadows, Jug Mountain Ranch has a handful of wetland carries that will likely gobble up some balls. Overall, though, it's a wonderful experience. Jug Mountain Ranch just added a cool six-hole short course called the Junior Jug next to its driving range to nurture newbies and families.

A GolfPass review in July awarded Jug Mountain Ranch five stars: "What a Gem! Beautiful surroundings! Fun and challenging course! Pro shop staff was awesome!"

Just 10 minutes farther north in the tourist hotbed of McCall reside two more places to play. Unfortunately, tee times on the private Whitetail Club are only available to guests of the Shoreline Lodge. I highly recommend playing it, though. The greens were the fastest I've putted on all year. If you can't get on Whitetail, the McCall Golf Course, a 27-hole municipal course run by the city, welcomes everyone on its classic routing dating to 1928.

Tamarack will always be known as ski, trail and lake country first. Golf is gaining ground, though, thanks to the miraculous rebirth of Osprey Meadows.