A public golf course in Weston may soon get a facelift after it was recently ranked as the worst course in America.
Plans are being discussed on a proposed $5 million improvement plan for the Leo J. Martin Golf Course and Ski Track, a state-operated 18-hole golf course that sits along the Charles River, according to the state Department of Conservation and Recreation.
Upgrades will address course conditions, and include a new irrigation system, landscaping and green improvements, and tree planting and cart path improvements, a DCR spokesperson said Thursday.
The proposal calls for the course to close for the 2026 season, but the driving range will reopen in April and stay open through the season, according to the DCR.
The agency recommended players head to Ponkapoag Golf Course in Canton as an alternative public course during the work period.
The Martin course is expected to reopen in April 2027, the DCR said.
The DCR said it will also continue the course’s normal maintenance work, including deep tine and core aerification, plug removal, application of sand-compost top dressing, turf seed slicing, and green rolling.
DCR said it hired a new director of golf course maintenance, who is getting feedback from players and other stakeholders about the agency’s plans for the Martin golf course.
The agency is accepting public comments on the project until Dec. 19. Comments can be submitted online at mass.gov/forms/dcr-public-comments.
In August, a website called My Golf Spy pronounced the Leo J. Martin the worst golf course in the United States. Adding insult to injury, the Martin course was joined by two other Massachusetts courses deemed among the five worst, with Ponkapoag Golf Course in Canton at No. 5 and Norwood Country Club at No. 3.
The rim of the cup on the third hole at the Leo J. Martin Memorial Golf Course.Billy Baker/Globe staff
The MyGolfSpy ranking was based on Google reviews, which criticized the Martin course for poor upkeep and its patchy, rocky greens that are more dirt and sand than, well, green.
“Cannot call this place a golf course,” one commenter wrote, according to MyGolfSpy. “Greens and tee boxes nonexistent. Some of the holes are just fairway with a flag in the center. Fairways resemble a stony beach. Perfect place to twist an ankle. Wouldn’t play it again for free.”
Nick Stoico can be reached at nick.stoico@globe.com.
