Osprey Meadows at Tamarack Resort, Donnelly, Idaho - One of the Finest Golf Courses in the Pacific Northwest

Osprey Meadows Golf Course is nestled amid ponderosa pine forests and high meadows near Idaho's sprawling Frank Church Wilderness. According to course designer Robert Trent Jones, Jr., the natural terrain provided a perfect design palette - but it also provided a bit of a challenge. Namely, the course layout carried it over two distinctive terrains, and the challenge was to seamlessly weave the design over the two.

The first terrain consists of lakes, streams, wetlands, meadows of wildflowers, and aspen groves. The second terrain consists of higher ground populated by ponderosa pine trees. The result is a golf course, according to Jones, with "...dramatic changes in landscape, and majestic views of the mountains, the meadow and Lake Cascade, [which] qualify Osprey Meadows as one of the finest courses in the Pacific Northwest.''

To accomplish the feat, Jones incorporated design features such as split fairways, doglegs, wetland cross hazards, bridges and boardwalks, dramatic waterfalls, and the occasional island-style green and fairways. The 18-hole, par-72 course plays to 7,319 yards from the tips and is considered strategically complex, but generous landing areas lessen the difficulty. The course also features 69 bunkers, while the greens average a generous 7,000 square feet.

Some of the most noteworthy holes on the course are its par-5s. Hole No. 4, for example, is a long hole at 608 yards from the tips. Adding to the uniqueness and the difficulty, the hole moves downhill to the right with a fairway split by a stream that runs the length of the hole, as well as wildflowers and then bunkers in the landing area.

The par-5 No. 18 is similar, playing uphill and doglegging to the right. At 547 yards from the longest tees, it's not an especially long hole, but features island fairways and bands of wetlands that serve as hazards. This last hole is also a tribute to St. Andrews, as No. 18 at Osprey Meadows is situated beside the resort village and passersby can watch golfers finishing their round, just as they do at the legendary old course.

It's exactly that type of hole that golfers will find at Osprey Meadows, which Travel & Leisure Golf magazine said features "playful, often deceptive holes.'' The course, which opened in 2005, has also received numerous awards and accolades, such as: "Best New Golf Course,'' by Men's Journal, 2007; one of the "Top 50 Best New Golf Courses'' by Golfweek, 2007; and a ranking at #79 among the "Top 100 Courses You Can Play'' by GOLF Magazine, 2008.

The course also features practice facilities, and golf lessons are available at Osprey Meadows Golf Academy.

In addition to golf, there are a number of summer and winter activities available at the resort. Biking, hiking, boating, rafting, fishing and zipline tours are some of the possibilities in the warmer months. In the winter, the course transforms into a ski resort for Alpine and Nordic skiing and snowshoeing.

Other amenities can be found in the resort's Tamarack Village, including a collection of retail shopping and dining options. Restaurants include Morels for intimate, gourmet dining, as well as the Terrace Bar & Grill, Canoe Grill and Seven Devils Pub for more casual fare and drinks.