DONNELLY, Idaho — Osprey Meadows golf course shut down nine years ago, but in 2021 Tamarack Resortfinalized a deal to buy back the land where most of the holes were. Then they went to work bringing Osprey Meadows back to life.
On Saturday golfers will have their first opportunity to try out nine holes at this championship golf course where the views are spectacular.
"You got views of everything from Lake Cascade to up to the ski hill," said Dustin Simons, the director of golf operations at Tamarack. "You are going to see everything from your ospreys to cranes that are migrating right now, to foxes and bears. It’s gorgeous out here."
In the past few years, Tamarack and original course architect Robert Trent Jr. have re-imagined the holes to make this course playable for golfers of all skill levels.
"Our goal was to make it more friendly for the average golfer and still challenge the lower handicap golfer out there," said Simons. "It's extremely rewarding we waited nine years to bring this course back."
Also new this year at Tamarack includes four new mountain biking trails. Two of those will be double black diamond technical runs, a single black diamond flow trail, and a green beginner flow trail.
Tamarack also worked to build a two-acre grass lawn amphitheater where they can host a free concert series in front of the village. This weekend will be the first shows with Honey Trail on Saturday and Boot Juice on Sunday, both of which will be from 3-6 p.m.
Another addition includes a 70,000-square-foot outdoor lawn space next to the golf course behind the Lodge at Osprey Meadows. The pro shop is located on the ground level of the lodge.
Osprey Meadows championship course will feature 19 holes. The remaining ten holes are expected to be open in early July. This is the next step in Tamarack's goal of connecting the mountain, the meadow, and the lake in one resort.
"It just adds that four-season completion to the resort," said Simons. "Once September hits most everything shuts down in the valley, but golf is probably the best it gets. It just keeps people wanting to come to Tamarack in September and October."
