Column: How do clubs get more value out of the padel courts they already have?

The recently published Global Padel Report 2026 shows that the next growth phase of padel does not directly revolve around more courts, but around more playing hours.

However, at least as interesting is another development that can be read in the Global Padel Report 2026: the market is maturing. While in recent years the focus was primarily on constructing new courts, attention is increasingly shifting towards operations, occupancy rates, and return on investment.

In other words: "How can clubs extract more value from the courts that are already in place?"

For the Netherlands and Belgium, this is an interesting question. Many outdoor courts are becoming less playable due to increasingly extreme weather conditions. Rain, snow, wind, and higher temperatures result in fewer playing hours, fewer lessons, and more frequent cancelled activities.

This creates a new demand for investment. Not: "Should we build more courts?" But: "How can we make better use of our existing courts?"

I therefore expect that in the coming years, investments will be made not only in new padel courts, but primarily in solutions that ensure higher occupancy rates, greater playing comfort, and year-round use.

This applies not only to commercial clubs, but also to tennis clubs, sports parks, and municipalities that want to make better use of their sports facilities. “Sport requires continuity and does not need to be limited by capacity, seasons, or the weather.”

Want to know more about how to increase the occupancy rate and return on investment of existing padel courts? Or curious how other clubs have tackled this? Feel free to contact me.

Column Edwin Peterman via LinkedIn

Reposted with permission