We are really excited about plans that will bring a single pop-up Padel court to Wargrave. Subject to final approval from Wokingham Council, the latest update is that installation could start by the end of April, with members having access to the court by the start of May. As we prepare for the introduction, here are some answers to typical questions that are being asked.
What is Padel?
Padel is short format of tennis that is hugely popular in Europe. It combines elements of tennis and squash and is a doubles game played on a court enclosed by glass walls and wire mesh. The scoring and rules are similar to tennis, but the use of walls allows for unique strategies involving rebound shots.
How will I be able to book the Padel court at Wargrave and how much will it cost to hire?
The initial plan is that only adult tennis members will be able to book the padel court using the ClubSpark online booking system. Using this system, members can book up to 14 days in advance. The cost to book the court will be £20 per hour for peak rates and £10 per hour for off-peak times.
Can non-members of the Club book the padel court at Wargrave?
Sorry, but at this time, the answer is no. The padel court is only for members of Wargrave Tennis Club. However, non-members can play if they are invited as guests and accompanied by a member who has booked the court (see below). We do have two tennis courts that non-members can book when they are not need by the Club for matches or tournaments.
Can members play with their guests?
Yes, members of the Club can invite guests to play and enjoy our facilities at any time of the week. However, guests must be accompanied by the member and they should pay a £5 all-day guest / visitors fee before they start playing on the court using the QR code on posters in the clubhouse (cash payments are no t accepted). A guest of a member can play as a visitor up to 4 times in any one year. After this, the guest will be expected to join the Club.
What are the times for peak rate and off-peak padel court bookings?
The committee has yet to agree on these times, but it is likely that peak rates will be from 6 p.m. on weekdays until 10 p.m. and for most of the weekend. Off-peak is likely to be weekdays from 9am until 6pm.
Is there a waiting list to become a member of Wargrave Tennis Club?
At the moment there isn’t a waiting list to join Wargrave Tennis Club. We currently have just over 200 adult members and we are planning to grow this to 250. Once this level is reached, we will then review whether we need to introduce a waiting list.
Will it be easy to book a padel court?
We imagine that there will be a surge of interest when we first introduce the court, but that things will settle down so that most members will be able to book the padel court during the course of a week. And this should be helped by keeping total adult tennis membership to around 250. This still gives us a membership to court ratio that is still far lower than other clubs in the area.
Will padel bats and balls be provided by the Club?
Unless it’s an approved Club session, players will be expected to provide their own PADEL bats and PADEL balls.
Will there be any padel club sessions and how will it work with pickleball tennis?
We have yet to confirm plans for any weekly open padel club sessions, but we do think this could be a good idea. For example, we currently run two popular members pickleball sessions every week on up to four courts. Given the similarities between both games, we are looking at ways of running padel / pickle sessions so that everyone can mix in and try both formats during a 2-3 hour session.
Why isn’t the Club offering a Padel only membership?
We are not planning to offer a separate membership for padel. This is difficult to manage and we don’t think it is necessary given the expected popularity of padel with our existing full tennis members. Our full tennis membership rates, together with the low hourly hire charge of the padel courts, are also much lower than rates being charged by commercial padel operators. We do however offer a limited number of pickleball only memberships, but these members are not allowed to book padel or tennis courts (although they could play as a visitor but would be expected to upgrade their membership after playing 4 times as a visitor).
Have you any further questions?
Sorry if we haven’t answered all your questions about padel. For more information, please email our membership secretary at membership@wargravetennis.com.
