Our new padel court was officially opened on the 22nd May and can now be booked by members from just £10 an hour. Check out the video below from our padel launch party in May, where over 70 guests enjoyed an evening of padel, pickleball, pizza and prosecco. You can also watch a video of our padel court in action at our Club finals day in September. To find out how padel works at Wargrave, please read the answers to common questions from members and potential new members.
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?
Only adult members will be able to book the padel court using the ClubSpark online booking system. Using this system, members can now book up to 21 days in advance. The cost to book the court will be £10 per hour for off-peak rates (all weekend and before 6pm on weekdays) and £20 per hour for peak times (weekdays 6-10pm). This compares to around £40-£60 an hour that is being charged by many commercial padel clubs.
What are the times for peak rate and off-peak padel court bookings?
With the exception of 6pm to 10pm on weekdays, all other times are off-peak. This allows members greater flexibility to play padel from just £10 an hour in off-peak times, although any guest of members must pay an additional £5 all-day guest fee. We will continue to review these times to ensure that members are able to play padel at rates significantly lower thab those offered by commercial padel providers.
Can non-members of the Club book the padel court at Wargrave?
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 and has paid the visitors’ fee.
Will the Club be offering any Padel-Only Memberships?
No, the padel court is primarily designed to meet the demand of our existing 270+ adult tennis players and to attract more tennis members who are also interested in playing padel at rates significantly lower than those of commercial padel operators. For those who are keen on only playing padel, we hope that the rates we are charging (both for full membership and court hire charges) make it worthwhile to join.
Is there a waiting list to become a member of Wargrave Tennis Club?
At present, there isn’t a waiting list to join Wargrave Tennis Club; however, this will be reviewed again once our membership exceeds 470. Our current membership stands at 454, with over 270 full adult members. This level has increased by nearly 35% since 2024, driven by the addition of new clay courts, improved coaching, and the introduction of pickleball and padel. Should we exceed 470, we will consider pausing membership applications to ensure that existing members have ample access to the new padel court.
Will it be easy to book a padel court?
There has certainly been a surge in demand for the new court, but even after the first 4 months, there are still plenty of slots available for members to book during the week and at weekends. This is likely to change as more members try this exciting new game; however, by controlling membership growth (see above), we aim to maintain a “membership to court ratio” at a good level so that future bookings don’t become impossible.
Will members be able to make numerous bookings in a single week?
To ensure that all members can easily access the court, we have agreed to place an initial limit on the number of bookings that a member can make both in a single day (no more than 2 hours per member per day) and in a single week (no more than three bookings per week). This will be reviewed once we have a better understanding of the demand for the new court.
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 not 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.
Do I get a refund if I cancel a court?
Yes, but only if the court is cancelled within six hours of the booking time. We hope that this provides enough flexibility for members to cancel a game (e.g. for bad weather) but enough time for another member to book a last-minute game. If a court if cancelled in less than 6 hours, no refund will be made. Our policy is still very generous, with many commercial operators offering a much stricter 48-hour no-refund policy.
Will there be an internal padel competition for members, and are there any padel club sessions?
Following the success of our first Club Padel competition, which saw over 80 competitors, we have now launched an internal Padel ladder, with individual members grouped into two different leagues. The idea is to help individual members organise matches with other members of a similar ability, playing a padel match that has a slight competitive edge. In addition, we are still working on options for a weekly coach-led session for people looking to improve their padel skills, and this might be combined with a pickleball “drills session”.
Will I be able to come and try the court before becoming a member?
The only option to try our padel courts as a non-member is to come and play as a guest of any existing member and pay the visitor’s fee of £5.
Will I need to provide my own bat and balls?
The Club has four “basic bats” that members and their guests can borrow. There is now no charge for this but we do ask members to return the bats to the clubhouse after use. However, we expect players to provide their own padel balls which can be easily purchased online.
Can Pickleball-Only Members book and play padel?
No, pickleball-only members will not be able to book the padel court. However, they can play if they are playing as an accompanied guest of a full adult tennis member and they have paid the £5 visitors fee (see rules for visitors above). There is currently a limit of 40 pickleball-only memberships.
Have you any further questions?
Sorry if we haven’t answered all your questions about padel. For more information or any other questions, please email our membership secretary at membership@wargravetennis.com.
These questions and answers have been updated following input from the Club committee on the 27th August, and they will continue to be reviewed based on ongoing membership feedback.
Photos from the recent padel launch party on 22nd May 2025…..
Photos of the court being built on Friday, 16th May 2025…..
Progress on Monday 12th May 2025…..
