Our first padel court was officially opened in May 2025 and can be booked by members from just £10 an hour for off-peak and £20 an hour peak. Following the success of our first court, our second padel court is due to open from the 1st June 2026, and this will allow us to run padel coaching and weekly club sessions for members.
This post provides a fresh update on how the padel court at Wargrave works, including answers to common questions. If you want to see our court in action, watch the video below or watch our padel court in action at our Club finals day in September.
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 do I book the Padel court at Wargrave and how much does it cost to hire?
Only adult members are allowed to book the padel courts 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, which 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 courts are 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.
Does the Club offer any Padel-Only Memberships?
No, the padel courts are designed to meet the demand of our existing 330+ 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 to play padel only, in comparison to commercial padel clubs, the rates that we charge (both for full membership and court hire) still make it worthwhile to join. We also have a very popular padel ladder, and over 80 players took part in our first padel championships in 2025.
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 if and when our membership reaches around 560. In March, our membership was the highest every at 530, with over 320 full adult members. This level has increased by nearly 50% since 2024, driven by the addition of new clay courts, improved coaching, and the introduction of pickleball and padel. Should we exceed 580 members, 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 our first court, but even after the first 12 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, with a second court from May 2026 and 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.
Are there any padel club night sessions now that you have two courts?
Yes, we are trialing two weekly club night sessions for 11 members on each night at a cost of £5 per member per session (sorry, this is only for members). Wednesday nights is for members new to padel and Thursday is for more advanced players.
Does Wargrave offer any padel coaching?
Yes, from the 23rd June we are running a 6-week trial of weekly padel coaching every Tuesday from 4.00pm to 9.30pm. There will be a variety of sessions for juniors and adults, led by Head Coach OIllie Brown and our LTA Padel Coach Peter Savage.
Will members be able to make numerous bookings in a single week?
To ensure that all members can easily access the courts, 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. Our Treasurer will also issue a full refund manually if a court is cancelled in less than 6 hours due to bad weather / heavy rain. We hope that this provides enough flexibility for members to cancel a game, but enough time for another member to book a last-minute game. We hope that members will find this policy sensible, with many commercial operators offering a much stricter 48-hour no-refund policy. Click here to see the full court booking terms and conditions.
Is there an internal padel competition for members, and are there any padel club sessions?
Yes, following the success of our first Club Padel competition, which saw over 80 competitors, we now run an internal Padel ladder, which currently has over 60 players. 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, when the second padel court is installed, we will be introducing coach-led sessions for players looking to improve their padel skills.
Will I be able to come and try the court before becoming a member?
Due to the popularity of padel among our existing members, we don’t offer a “free trial option” for non-members. However, non-members can try the padel courts by coming as a guest of any existing member and paying the visitor’s fee of £5. They can do this only 4 times before being asked to become a member. Non-members can also come and see the courts in action if they are attending a free trial tennis visit.
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 courts. 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 on 21st May and are based on ongoing membership feedback, including input from our annual online AGM survey.
More photos of padel at Wargrave…..
Photos of our first court being built in 2025…..
