How to start a padel club in the UK: from first idea to fully booked courts

The UK padel market has moved fast, and the clubs that do well are not always the ones with the most courts. They are the ones that pick the right site, get the court mix right, and fill the calendar from week one.

1. Site before spreadsheet

Indoor space with 6m of clear height, decent parking and a catchment within a 20-minute drive beats a cheaper site every time. Industrial units convert well: several of the clubs we have built started life as warehouses or indoor football centres.

2. Court mix

Most UK clubs run best on a mix of panoramic doubles courts with one or two single courts for coaching and quick sessions. Eleven courts works for a city-scale venue; four to six is a healthy independent club.

3. Budget honestly

Courts are only part of the number. Groundworks, lighting, fencing, flooring outside the courts, changing rooms, a booking system and opening marketing all belong in the plan. An itemised quotation is worth more than a low headline price.

4. Coaching and community from day one

Courts fill when there is a reason to turn up: beginner sessions, an Americano night, a ladder, a league. Clubs that open with a coaching programme reach steady occupancy far faster than clubs that only open a booking page.

5. Plan for phase two

Leave room. Several clubs we have delivered came back within twelve months to add courts, and it is far cheaper when the slab and services were designed for it from the start.