Club wins £75k Grant for a Padel Court (pt 2)

(continued from pt 1)

What is the plan from here?

The next phase of the project is to start some preparative activities. This entails submitting for planning permission, clearing out the overgrowth to our boundary with the watercress line (needed even if project does not go ahead), choosing the preferred contractor to get the final costings and preparing a final plan/budget to put to the AGM.

After the AGM, if approved, we will place contracts to build the court and make the other associated changes. A peripheral benefit of this project is we plan to install electronic gates and simplify access once in the club, removing many of the padlocks. We will also have an improved viewing area for courts 3 and 4 and potentially add a "hitting wall" at some point in the future.

If approved, we would benefit from someone experienced in construction to help supervise the build. If you can help, please get in touch.

Where will the Padel Court be installed?

The most common question I get is why not put the court on the field behind courts 3 & 4? That would be ideal, but it is leased by the guides and they are investing in it for their own future use. We asked the guides and Alton Town council and they will not release land wholly or in part.

The plan is to place the court next to court 4, on the spare land between the courts and the Watercress line. It is allocated to us and requires least disruption to existing facilities. It appears tight, but there is room if we extend the playing surface to the boundary of our land and shuffle courts 2 and 3 towards the bowls club. If we need a bit extra we will extend the playing surface towards the Bowls club by the required amount to maintain the LTA minimum distance between courts.

Why a Padel Court?

Padel tennis is both a threat and an opportunity for the club.

Padel is experiencing rapid growth, especially now it is backed by the LTA as a good compliment to Lawn Tennis. In Farnham the Bourne Club has a Padel court and has been overwhelmed with interest as has Winchester Tennis club. Worldham Golf course has 2 Padel Courts and will add another later this year. Bordon Tennis club is putting in a PADEL court and Kingsley tennis Centre has been bought by a firm which wants to convert at least half of their indoor courts into Padel.

This popularity and growth is the opportunity for the club. Our demographic is heavily biassed to the over 45, with approximately 40% of members being over 65. Padel offers the opportunity to help senior players extend their playing career. Padel also attracts younger players new to the sport in the 18 to 40 bracket, where ATC has a shortage of members. The commercial enterprises are charging £25+/hour for a court, so people are paying handsomely to play the game.

If we install a Padel Court, those new to the sport through Padel will see the 4 other tennis courts that are more available and hopefully become tempted to take up the full game.

This is the opportunity but if we do not take it, it will become a threat. The popularity of the Padel game means Lawn Tennis is losing players to Padel and that will also happen to ATC. If we do not have a Padel court, ATC could begin to wither and decline as those members who are retiring or moving to padel are not replaced with new players, who are playing Padel elsewhere instead.

Any questions?

Jean Marc O, Andy H, David EB and myself are the team delivering this project. We are in and around the club and would much rather you ask us questions and get facts rather than assume or listen to rumours. So please don't be afraid to ask! I will put an information board in the club as more details emerge.

Tony

ATC Chair