Photos by Richard Smith, Stadium Journey
Stadium Info FANFARE Score: 2.57
Schottland Tennis Center
Athey Park 108 Gibson Ave. Chestertown, MD 21620
Year Opened: n/a
Capacity: 250
Tennis On The Shore
Washington College is a college in Chestertown, Maryland which was granted its charter in 1782. It is the 10th oldest college in the United States and one of the few to have received support from George Washington to honor him. The original desire was to have this college as the Eastern Shore Campus of a public “University of Maryland” with Annapolis’ St. John’s College the Western Shore counterpart. That obviously did not happen.
Each year, Washington College awards the nation’s largest undergraduate literary prize. Since 1968, the Sophie Kerr Prize has been presented to one graduating senior who demonstrates the greatest literary promise.
Washington has had sports since the 1800s, with the baseball team dating back to the 1870s, likely the oldest team on campus. Men’s teams are known as the Shoremen; women’s teams are known as the Shorewomen.
The Schottland Tennis Center is a nice, but fairly simple facility. Eight courts surround the center’s building. The building has locker rooms, offices, and meeting spaces. Washington College has two national tennis championships to their credit.
Food & Beverage 0
There is not a permanent food stand or any other options for sale at the tennis center.
Atmosphere 2
This is a very good tennis facility, but like many tennis venues it has a simple, quiet atmosphere.
Neighborhood 4
Chestertown is a town and county seat of around 5,000 in Kent County, Maryland, and is located on what is known as Maryland’s Eastern Shore. It is 1.5 hours from Baltimore and Philadelphia.
The nearby downtown district of Chestertown is full of history and sites for visitors, along with some nice shopping and dining. BAD Alfred’s Distilling, the Evergrain Bread Company, and Play It Again Sam are good spots for dining.
Check out the High Street Town Dock and see if there are any charter boat trips through companies such as the Chester River Packet Company.
Wilmer Park and the nearby area around the Hodson Boathouse at Washington College makes for some nice waterside walking on a nice day.
Fans 3
There is a pretty good group of fans who attend tennis matches here at Schottland. I would imagine most of the crowd is family and friends of the players.
Access 3
The actual town of Chestertown is not an issue getting around and accessing, but the problem is how isolated from major urban areas the town and college is. You will have to go way out of your way to visit Washington College.
There may also not be much parking on campus as it is a historic campus and if there are many events going on, the available spots could be hard to find. Leave yourself plenty of time to find a good spot. The North Commons area may be a good place to start, but make sure to follow parking guidelines, especially for weekday events during regular school semesters.
Return on Investment 5
Matches are free, so the value is very good.
Extras 1
Not many extras, but the list of championships and past players is a nice thing to see.
Final Thoughts
This is a simple facility, but if you want to see some good tennis action, the Schottland Tennis Center is a good stop for any sports fan.