Tamarack Resort's Osprey Meadows Golf Course in Donnelly, Idaho has earned a pair of significant rankings from Golfweek: the top spot among Idaho's best public courses you can play and a position on the publication's Top 100 Resort Courses in the United States. The recognition arrives less than two years after the course's full restoration reopening, underlining how deliberate investment in signature amenities can rapidly elevate a resort's national profile.
For hospitality operators watching mountain resort trends, the Osprey Meadows story is a case study in amenity-led differentiation. The 18-hole, par-73 championship layout — originally designed by Robert Trent Jones II and restored in collaboration with the original RTJ II design team — stretches 7,447 yards and incorporates dramatic elevation changes, waterfalls, wetlands, island-style greens, and panoramic views of Lake Cascade and Idaho's West Central Mountains. Those are precisely the kinds of experiential details that convert first-time visitors into repeat guests and drive premium room-rate compression across an entire property.
The Golfweek rankings reflect a broader hospitality industry pattern in which resort operators are doubling down on signature outdoor experiences to compete for high-value leisure travelers. Golf, in particular, has proven a durable draw since pandemic-era participation surges reshaped the sport's demographics. Resorts that can offer a credentialed, destination-worthy course gain a measurable edge in group sales, wedding and event bookings, and multi-night stay incentives — revenue streams that extend well beyond greens fees.
Tamarack's position in Idaho's West Central Mountains also speaks to the continued rise of secondary and tertiary mountain destinations, as travelers increasingly seek alternatives to overcrowded flagship resorts. For food and beverage operators within resort ecosystems, that influx of golf-focused guests creates demand for elevated clubhouse dining, on-course refreshment programs, and post-round beverage experiences — all areas where restaurant and hospitality operators are finding new revenue. Industry observers tracking these developments can find additional context in beverage industry analysis covering how resort F&B programs are evolving alongside amenity upgrades.
The restoration project, completed in 2024, was executed in partnership with the original RTJ II design team, a detail that matters to discerning golf travelers who value architectural pedigree. That credentialing, combined with the Golfweek imprimatur, gives Tamarack a marketable proof point that resonates with meeting planners, incentive travel buyers, and upscale leisure bookers alike.
Written by Michael Politz, Author of Guide to Restaurant Success: The Proven Process for Starting Any Restaurant Business From Scratch to Success (ISBN: 978-1-119-66896-1), Founder of Food & Beverage Magazine, the leading online magazine and resource in the industry. Designer of the Bluetooth logo and recognized in Entrepreneur Magazine's "Top 40 Under 40" for founding American Wholesale Floral, Politz is also the Co-founder of the Proof Awards and the CPG Awards and a partner in numerous consumer brands across the food and beverage sector.
