The open day at Wolverhampton Lawn Tennis & Squash Club on Saturday allowed people to come in, play a game and find out a bit more about the game, which is a mixture of tennis and squash.
Club manager Nikki Prosser has been heavily involved in the launch of the courts, which were opened to members in September, and said it was the right time to open up the courts to the community in Wolverhampton.
She said: “We’re now in a position to open it to the wider community now and allow them to book in and play as guests without having to be a member of the club, so they can book online for our group coaching sessions and to book and hire a court.
Steve Chilvers (Chairman of the club) joins Leo Handy and coaches Marc Hughes, Darren Lewis and Mike Harris at the community day
“Today was a chance to formally open them up and showcase the club and the courts and get the word out that people can play even if they’re not a member.
“Padel is more of a doubles-based game and it’s a bit more social and a bit more in-between tennis, squash and raquetball because it has the glass box around the court, with the ball able to bounce off the sides, and it’s got the same scoring as tennis.”
Ms Prosser said the reaction from those taking part had been good, with plenty of people enjoying the game, and spoke about how having the new courts was a real boost for the club.
It was a day for people like Pamela Hart to learn more about the game
She said: “Padel is one of the big rising sports in the UK at the moment and we’re the first club in Wolverhampton to have the courts, which is massive for us.
“People have been travelling to Birmingham from Wolverhampton to play padel, so it’s a massive milestone for us to be able to offer one of the most Instagrammable-type vibe sports.
“People can go live on our website and register as a pay and play guest and then sign up for all our classes, so hopefully, it’s now all open in a way that’s ready for everyone.”
