How much does it cost to rent a padel court?

Padel is a fun and exciting sport that has become increasingly popular in recent years. Like most sports, it costs money to play padel and the price can vary depending on several factors. In this article, we examine how much it typically costs to play padel and whether prices vary if you book your padel court at a commercial pay and play center or at a padel club. We also discuss whether the price varies depending on the geographical location of the court, time of day and, not least, whether you play on weekdays or weekends.

Pay and Play - rent a padel court by the hour

If you want to play padel in a relaxed way without committing to a club membership, pay and play options are available in most padel centers. The cost of pay and play varies depending on the location and the facilities available. Typically, it costs around 15 € per hour to play paddle tennis in a pay and play center. However, prices can vary depending on the country, on the time of day and whether it is a weekday or weekend. Thus, at the most popular times, you can easily reach €30 per hour to rent a padel court, while at less popular times you can book courts for €10 per hour.

Is padel cheaper on certain days of the week and/or times of the day?

The cost of renting a padel court varies according to the time of day and whether it is a weekday or weekend. In general, it is more expensive to play during the hours when the courts are typically busiest, also known as high peak hours. In most countries, the courts are on average most booked between 15-23 pm.

Play padel at a bargain price outside primetime

At most padel centers, it is typically cheaper to play at the times when the courts are on average most available, also called low peak hours. The reduced prices associated with these times depend very much on which padel centers you use. If the occupancy rate in the center is high, the high peak will typically be in a larger time range and there will not be as much money to be saved. On the other hand, if the occupancy rate is not as high, these centers will typically shorten their time interval for court bookings in primetime. We typically see this in centers that are less attractively located geographically or that do not have premium facilities.

Save money with a voucher for bookings at your padel center

Several padel centers also offer vouchers for their users, where you can buy a voucher for 10 bookings for the price of 8 bookings. This way, you save money on booking your padel court, while the center ensures that you also book their facilities the next time you go.

Why choose a padel club?

Joining a padel club or association is a great way to improve your level of play and expand your network of people who share the same passion for the sport. Most padel clubs and associations offer monthly or annual memberships that come with several benefits, including access to the club's facilities, training, organized tournaments, and reduced prices on court bookings. This way, you pay for the access to book courts through your membership fee.

What does it cost to join a padel club?

The cost of joining a club varies considerably depending on location, facilities, membership level, and type of membership. The accessibility of the padel varies significantly between countries, and therefore it does not really make sense to compare prices across borders. What we can discuss, however, is what a club mmebership typically includes.  

Some clubs charge a registration fee or require members to pay an annual fee in addition to their monthly membership. The lower-priced memberships typically give you benefits such as use of the club's facilities and the ability to book courts up to 45 days in advance. This can mean a lot when there is high demand for courts - often, pay and play guests can only book courts 14 days in advance.

The memberships at the more expensive end of the scale naturally offer additional benefits, which typically include reduced prices for booking, reduced prices for coaches and the possibility of free participation in selected social events.

Is it cheaper to play padel in a club rather than in a commercial center?

If you play padel regularly, it's often worth joining a padel club and paying for court rental through your membership fee. In some clubs, you can get away with a membership fee of around €275 per year, which gives you access to book courts. If you spread the annual membership fee over 1-2 sessions of padel every week, it's not hard to see how the membership fee will quickly pay for itself.

However, it is worth checking out the club's members vs courts ratio before you join. There are examples of clubs where the ratio of courts to members is so skewed that it is difficult to book courts because the demand is so high. In this situation, many people take the opportunity to play in different pay and play centers, where there might be a better chance of finding an available padel court.

If you've got an entrepreneur in you and you're thinking of building your own padel tennis venue rather than just renting a court once in a while, we've written this article on what it costs to build a padel court.

Summary

The cost of playing padel varies significantly depending on several factors, including the type of facility, location, commercial center or club, and time of day/weekend. Pay and play options are generally more expensive than a club membership, but they offer greater flexibility in terms of scheduling. On the other hand, membership of a padel club potentially offers more benefits such as access to social events and regular team coaching sessions. Of course, the price is also adapted to the extra benefits you get.

When it comes to time of day and day of the week/weekend, it is usually cheaper to play during off-peak periods. Therefore, if you want to save money on padel, it's always a good idea to check the prices for different times of the day and week before booking your court.

All in all, playing padel is an enjoyable and rewarding experience that is well worth the investment. Whether you decide to opt for pay and play or join a club, there is a padel option to suit every budget and lifestyle.

If you're keen to start playing padel, you can learn much more about the equipment you'll need to get started with padel in this post.