UK’s Padel Gold Rush Is Real — But Are We Building Smart or Just Building Fast?

The UK padel market is booming. That much is obvious.

What’s less obvious is whether the country is building sustainable infrastructure — or simply riding a participation wave with short-term installations that may not age well.

The recent expansion at East Glos Club in Cheltenham is being held up as a model case study. Four new outdoor courts (three doubles and a singles court — reportedly the first singles court in the county) were delivered by Carrick Construction, part of STRI Group.

On paper, it’s a success story: strong demand, technical execution, positive member feedback.

But zoom out, and the more important question becomes this:

Is this project a sign of maturity in the UK padel sector — or a rare example of discipline in an otherwise overheated build cycle?

Demand Is Surging. Discipline Is Optional.

There’s no debating demand. Padel’s accessibility — smaller courts, slower ball speeds, inherently social format — has widened the funnel beyond traditional racquets audiences.

Clubs are under pressure. Waiting lists grow. “Pay and play” slots fill instantly. Boards feel compelled to add courts quickly.

The risk? Speed overtakes specification.

To their credit, East Glos appears to have taken the slower, more expensive route: investing in ground engineering, drainage design, and long-term durability rather than just surface-level installation.

That distinction matters.

Because in sports construction, what sits below the carpet determines whether the asset performs for 15 years — or becomes a maintenance liability in five.

The Unsexy Part: Groundworks Decide Everything

Most recreational builds treat groundwork as a line item. The smarter operators treat it as the project.

At East Glos, geotechnical surveys assessed soil composition and drainage characteristics before excavation began. Subgrades were laser-graded to millimetre tolerances. Stabilisation layers were compacted to specification. Concrete kerbing and edge restraints were installed for structural longevity.

That’s not marketing fluff. That’s infrastructure.

Surface water was identified as a risk due to site location. Instead of hoping for the best, Environmental Protection Group (also within STRI Group) designed a soakaway system integrated into the broader drainage network.

In a high-traffic environment, water mismanagement isn’t cosmetic — it’s structural. Flatness tolerance, bounce consistency, and long-term settlement are all downstream of drainage design.

Here’s the uncomfortable reality: many UK padel builds won’t go to this level of detail. Margins are tight. Timelines are compressed. Clubs want courts operational before the summer season.

That’s how shortcuts happen.

Social Value Is Real — But It Doesn’t Justify Poor Capex Decisions

The East Glos expansion has reportedly increased membership, broadened participation, and attracted families and juniors. That aligns with broader public policy goals around active spaces and community cohesion.

But social value cannot be used as a blanket justification for aggressive capital expenditure.

Padel courts are not cheap assets. Between groundwork, fencing, lighting, and ongoing maintenance, clubs are committing meaningful capital — often financed — into a single participation trend.

The key difference at East Glos appears to be integration.

This wasn’t four standalone cages dropped into spare land. It was a coordinated design-build effort that accounted for:

• Drainage and irrigation

• Structural integration with existing facilities

• Long-term maintenance efficiency

• Compliance with LTA and SAPCA guidance

• Electrical and fencing coordination

That’s infrastructure thinking.

Too many builds are still installation thinking.

Performance Metrics Matter More Than Ribbon Cuttings

Since opening, the courts have reportedly delivered:

• High utilisation rates

• Minimal downtime

• Strong player feedback

Good. That’s the baseline.

But the real test won’t be year one. It will be year seven — when drainage systems, sub-bases, and surface tolerances either justify the upfront cost or expose value engineering decisions made under pressure.

Carrick Construction’s model — integrating civil engineering, irrigation, testing, and surface expertise in-house — reflects a mature approach to delivery.

The question is whether that becomes the industry standard or remains the premium option.

The Bigger Issue: Is the UK Overbuilding?

Here’s the macro risk.

The UK is in its padel acceleration phase. Courts are being announced weekly. Private operators, leisure centres, racquets clubs, and real estate developers all want exposure.

Participation is growing fast — but history suggests growth curves normalise.

If utilisation drops from peak levels in five years, only the best-built facilities will maintain margin. The rest will compete on price, discount heavily, or struggle with maintenance costs that erode returns.

That’s why projects like East Glos matter.

Not because they prove padel works — we already know that.

But because they demonstrate what disciplined capital deployment looks like during a boom cycle.

Opinion: The Industry Needs Fewer Courts — and Better Ones

If you’re a club, developer, or governing body, the lesson isn’t “build now.”

It’s:

• Stress-test demand assumptions

• Invest properly in ground engineering

• Design drainage before marketing the launch event

• Think 15-year lifecycle, not 18-month payback

East Glos appears to have taken that approach. That deserves credit.

But one well-executed project doesn’t guarantee sector-wide prudence.

The UK padel market doesn’t need more hype. It needs more engineering discipline, more lifecycle modelling, and more honest conversations about return on capital.

Booms are easy.

Durable infrastructure is harder.

And five years from now, we’ll know which category most of today’s builds fall into.