Work starts on new padel tennis courts at Glasgow Club Scotstoun

Three new padel tennis courts are set to open at Glasgow Club Scotstoun.

Work on the state-of-the-art indoor facility began this week, with the courts due to open in April.

Padel is one of the world’s fastest-growing sports and is played in more than 150 countries by over 35 million people worldwide.

Glasgow Life, the charity which delivers culture, events and active living in Glasgow, is converting two of Glasgow Club Scotstoun’s eight indoor tennis courts into three padel courts. The padel courts, delivered in partnership with Alliance Leisure Services, will help more people get active and give players of all ages and abilities the chance to enjoy the sport in a high-quality facility all year round.

The introduction of padel at Glasgow Club Scotstoun reflects Glasgow Life’s commitment to provide modern, inclusive facilities. It also strengthens the venue’s multi-sport programme and adds to the world-class facilities already on offer to support Scotland’s sporting future.

The six indoor tennis courts will allow Scotstoun to continue offering a range of performance and competition tennis programmes, community coaching and social tennis for all ages and abilities. There will also be opportunities for regional, national and international tennis activity, with some changes to the format and scale of larger events.

Padel is widely regarded as fun, sociable and easy to pick up. The sport blends parts of tennis and squash, uses the tennis scoring system and is usually played in pairs as doubles.

Padel is played on a court about a third the size of a tennis court, surrounded by glass walls and fencing. This means the ball stays in play more often, rallies last longer and players stay on the move.

The sport offers something for everyone – from beginners to players with racquet sport experience and padel fanatics. While players can quickly get to grips with the game from their first time on court, padel’s highly tactical nature means the sport is often described as simple to learn but impossible to master.

Padel also improves physical, mental and social wellbeing.

The physical benefits are clear: padel is a fun, full-body workout that keeps players moving from beginning to end. The sport involves plenty of running, side-to-side movement and quick changes of direction, which help to improve endurance and cardiovascular health. Like tennis, it also helps to build muscle through the short and explosive movements needed to get around the court.

There are many mental wellbeing benefits that come with playing padel. As well as reducing stress and improving mood, padel adds layers of tactical thinking, anticipation and teamwork, all of which enhance focus, reaction time and decision-making.

As a doubles game, padel is a team sport which naturally encourages teamwork and communication. It is also a great way to socialise with friends and family and meet new people.

The new padel courts at Glasgow Club Scotstoun will be bookable via the Glasgow Club app, Glasgow Club website or at the venue. Court bookings will follow Glasgow Club’s standard eight-day advance booking window.

Court hire is based on a standard doubles game involving four players and is priced as follows:

• Adult: £28 (£7-per-person).
• Junior: £22 (£5.50-per-person).
• Concession: £22 (£5.50-per-person).

More information about discounted prices is available on the Glasgow Club – Concession Eligibility webpage.

Players will be able to hire padel racquets from the venue, meaning newcomers and beginners can play without buying their own racquet. Players can either bring their own padel balls or buy these from the Sportmax stand at Glasgow Club Scotstoun.

There will be various activities for players of all levels and ages to choose from when Scotstoun’s new padel courts open. The programme will include coaching for beginners, intermediate and advanced players; social play sessions; and fun, fast-paced Americano events where players compete individually but play in pairs and switch partners after each round.

The opening date and further details about Glasgow Club Scotstoun’s padel courts will be announced on the Glasgow Club app, website and Facebook and Instagram channels.

Visit the Glasgow Club padel webpage for more information.