Osprey Meadows Golf Course at Tamarack Resort
Osprey Meadows Golf Course is an 18-hole golf course at Tamarack Resort, two hours north of Boise, Idaho, in the ski village of Tamarack, Idaho.
Osprey Meadows Golf Course opened in 2006. Robert Trent Jones, Jr, and associate Bruce Charlton designed the course.
Upon opening, the course was rated as the best new course in the country.
The course closed in the fall of 2014
In 2022, Robert Trent Jones, Jr., and associate Bruce Charlton were contracted to revive and soften the course. The course reopened in 2024.
Osprey originally had a 155-slope rating, the maximum allowed by the United States Golf Association. The 2024 version offers a modified routing and a fun "bonus" 19th hole and putting course.
The new layout starts in an open meadow before wandering into the forest. Along the way, it encounters ponds, a creek, wetlands, and elevation changes. A few elevated tees deliver long-range views of the 47-square-mile Cascade Lake.
The stunning natural beauty remains the allure of playing Osprey Meadows. Although still tricky, with a slope rating of 142 from the 7,447-yard tips, Osprey Meadows does deliver some enjoyable 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.
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 four or 611-yard par five, 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.
The course plays to a par 72/73 with four teeing options on each hole, accommodating beginners to professionals. The course layout includes five or six par 5s, five par 3s, and eight par 4s. The course plays to 7,447 yards from the tips, with generous landing areas.
