Drone footage highlights the significant changes that have been made to the Club since 2021, with a total investment in court improvements that have exceeded £200,000, with plans for a further £160,000 in 2026. The investments have been made in support of the Club’s objective to “advance the game of tennis in Wargrave and the surrounding area by encouraging and supporting more players, of all ages and abilities, to play better competitive or social tennis, in an environment that is fun, safe and inclusive.”
LED Floodlights and Artificial Clay in 2024 and 2025
Major work started in early 2022 with the introduction of new competition-level LED floodlights on all courts, a change backed by over 80% of our members, and that has helped deliver significant savings in our energy bills. This was followed by the move to red all-weather artificial clay on courts 1 and 2 in 2024, and on courts 3 and 4 in April 2025, a move that had the backing of nearly 90% of all adult members in EGM online voting.
Padel and Pickleball Tennis from 2025
Club members also supported further improvements in 2025 with the introduction of Wargrave’s first padel court in May. This investment has proved to be incredibly popular with court hire charges for members from just £10 an hour. We have also encouraged the growth of pickleball with a new pickleball “show court” on court number 9, together with fresh pickleball lines on courts 5 and 6. Both padel and pickleball are two of the fastest-growing racket sports for all ages, and provide an excellent way for people to “get back into tennis” with formats that are much easier to master.
Other Changes in 2025
In addition to some of the major changes listed above, in 2025 we upgraded our remaining three hard tennis courts with new paint and lines, installed new benches on all courts, and enhanced club security and child safety with the introduction of entrance gates.
Growing Membership Numbers
With all these changes, the good news is that members are smiling, with 97% of members saying that they “would be happy to recommend a friend to the Club” in last November’s membership-wide survey. We are also delighted to have attracted nearly 200 new members since April 2025, with total membership in March 2026 now at 525. This is a record high for the Club, for both adults and juniors, and represents a 72% increase since September 2021, and just under 50% rise in the past 12 months alone. Our members mainly live in Wargrave, with over 85% living within 3 miles of the Club. However, we are delighted to welcome many members who come from further afield, including for example Henley, Sonning, Twyford, Reading and Maidenhead.
Investment Plans for 2026
Looking to the future, the Club’s volunteer committee have submitted a planning application in January to enlarge the current clubhouse and to install a second padel court by June 2026. The outline plans were supported by 85% of members in our online AGM vote last November and 97% have recently voted in favour to invest up to £90,000 for the new padel court. Planning approval is expected in early April, with work due to start in May and work on the clubhouse starting later in the summer.
