Padel operation
With padel rapidly emerging as one of the most popular sports in Great Britain, now is the perfect time to capitalise on its growth and engage your wider community.
The surge in popularity offers an incredible opportunity for Local Authorities and Padel Operators to offer a vibrant space where people can enjoy the sport and connect with others.
While managing padel facilities can come with its challenges, we’re here to help make it a little bit more manageable!
We’ve developed tools and resources to help Local Authorities, Clubs, Education Venues and Leisure Operators maximise the potential of their padel courts by enhancing their facilities, increasing participation and creating more opportunities for people to enjoy padel in their local area.
Once your padel courts are up and ready for play, you’ll need to determine how you’re going to keep everything running smoothly.
If you’re a standalone padel venue, or have recently added courts to your existing tennis venue, you may want some additional support to point you in the right direction.
Venue Registration is our exclusive registration scheme that offers tailored, cost-effective support packages that are packed with benefits to help venues operate successfully across Great Britain.
For more information about Venue Registration, or to register your padel venue head to the link below:
By becoming an LTA Registered Venue, you will gain access to our Venue Support Toolkit which will provide you with the information, resources and support needed to manage, develop and grow your padel venue.
Keeping your courts in good condition is essential to extending their life span, so they look attractive and are nice to play on.
Regularly cleaning your courts, carrying out inspections and repairs, as well as net maintenance can all play a crucial role in extending a court’s lifespan while maintaining optimal performance for your players.
If you’re looking for advice on how to maintain your padel court, take a look at our guidance:
Gate Access Technology allows venues to control access to their padel courts remotely, letting them open up their facilities to new and wider audiences.
With Gate Access systems, venues can effectively take bookings and payments without the need for on-site staff. Gate Access systems can also control floodlights – eliminating the need for players to purchase tokens or use meters.
When it comes to court utilisation, courts can be used from 7am to 10pm in most locations. Utilisation levels are very high, on average in the region of 80% year round. Venues should expect to achieve these levels with effective operational management and marketing.
Covered courts tend to be used more consistently throughout the year, while uncovered courts experience a level of drop-off in the winter months due to weather conditions.
Most padel courts operate on a pay and play basis, with some venues offering off peak discounts. A programme of coaching and organised mixed in sessions / social play should also be offered and promoted. Suggestions include LTA Youth Padel, sessions and festivals for local schools, women and girls sessions and social matchplay graded by ability.
Average pay and play court charges (per hour):
|
Location |
Indoor Court |
Outdoor Court |
|
London |
£37 |
£27 |
|
South England |
£28 |
£23 |
|
Midlands |
£27 |
£20 |
|
North England |
£20 |
£17 |
|
Scotland |
£27 |
£25 |
*Figures should be used as a guide pricing structure.
Padel offers a fantastic opportunity for you to engage with the wider community and is key to driving padel participation at your venue.
By introducing padel courts at your venue, you can create a vibrant, engaging and accessible environment where people of all ages and abilities can come together, meet new people and stay active.
The LTA Quick Access Loan Scheme provides interest-free loans to help venues deliver projects that will increase padel participation both floodlit and covered padel courts. Venues must demonstrate a commitment to opening padel up to the wider community including:
- Online booking system which enables non members and pay and play bookings.
- An affordable pricing strategy for pay and play and coaching.
- Community outreach and engagement programmes.
The scheme is part of our mission to grow padel by making it accessible, welcoming, and enjoyable for everyone.
Find out more about the scheme:
Hosting a competition at your venue is a great way to bring new players through your doors and expand your membership base.
If you are thinking about hosting your own padel tournament, please see details on how to do this in our guide below:
Creating an inclusive padel environment is essential for attracting a wide range of players to your venue.
Padel can be easily enjoyed by people of all ages, backgrounds and abilities. Offering inclusive and accessible sessions catered towards players living with disabilities or long-term health conditions is key to creating a welcoming environment within your community.
Our Open Court Programme, in partnership and jointly funded by Sport England, is a national scheme that actively promotes and delivers opportunities for disabled people to get involved in padel.
Find out more about disability padel and our Open Court Programme below: