TAME Valley Tennis and Squash Club is about to invest £200,000 developing a new sport at its Greenfield home.
The club has plans to build two new courts for padel, an innovative game which is effectively a combination of tennis and squash.
It is a sport which is gaining in popularity, especially in Europe, and Tame Valley club president Steve Ivell believes it will be a winner.
He said: “We have been conscious of membership dwindling, and we believe this will fit in well with what we already do.
“Padel is supposed to be the fastest growing sport in the world and has become massive in Spain in the last 15/20 years, and we believe it will attract a different clientele.”
The cost of building two courts, which are about one third the size of a tennis court and which has a back wall, mesh sides and a roof to enable play in any weather, is £200,000.
However, if Tame Valley can raise £100,000, the remainder will be match funded by the Lawn Tennis Association.
Steve said: “The sport in Europe is outdoors but here with our climate you need a roof because the courts would be unplayable for much of the year.
“The roof probably accounts for half the cost but, without one, it would not be commercially viable.”
Tame Valley are hoping to raise the money from their existing members, probably in the form of loans.
The club is in the process of having noise and tree surveys carried out, a requirement in applying for planning permission.
Once planning permission is granted, Steve said a business plan will be put together which will then be presented to members.
Padel is typically played in doubles with scoring the same as tennis with similar-sized balls but with a little less pressure.
The main differences are that the court has walls, and the balls can be played off them in a similar way as in the game of squash and that solid, stringless bats are used. The height of the ball being served must be at or below the waist level.
The sport was invented in Mexico by Enrique Corcuera in 1969 and also popular in Latin America.
The Padel Pro Tour was created in 2005 and today the most important padel circuit is the World Padel Tour.
Steve added the club has bounced back well following the challenges presented by Covid-19 and since restrictions were lifted have picked up new members.
