Padel has been in the UK for almost a quarter of a century now, and this is the place where we think it all began for UK Padel. Not only is it unique for that reason, the original Padel court at Rye is also one of a kind on these shores in that it is a block construction and made not from re-enforced glass but concrete and render, and a project of passion for members John Farmer and Freddie Menzies who had fallen for the game when on holiday in Spain.
Is the playing experience different? Yes, but is it worse, absolutely not so much so that it is perhaps slightly surprising that this template for court construction didn’t catch on anywhere else in the UK as these block courts are popular on the continent, and may be an idea to bring up in urban regeneration plans. Whilst it might not be a question of economics ( we got the quotes and bricks and mortar are the same price as 12mil glass) and taste, we do admit the viewing aspect for intrigued passers by is not as good as on the glass courts.
Rye Lawn Tennis club was 100 years old in 2022 and just to make sure it is moving with the times, they have constructed a brand new glass portico court which opened for play in April 2022.
The Padel courts are set amongst a staggeringly good grass court complex, often the ones that perhaps succumb to Padel developments. But not here, all forms of tennis look set to co-exist happily for another 100 years. We don’t write this in jest, the UK has many protected games that are seasonal like lawn tennis, like lawn green bowls, but increasingly our sporting and leisure habits are less seasonal and as our impatience to wait grows, so will the number of multisport games like Padel.
Often voted the best seaside town in Sussex, quaint doesn’t quite do the Rye Tennis and Padel club justice, as this is a beast of a club in possibly one of the best settings in the UK. And of course if you can find a member, or crack the nod from the secretary at Rye Golf Club, then you can be sure of one of the best golf/ Padel days available in the UK.
Padel has been in the UK for almost a quarter of a century now, and this is the place where we think it all began for UK Padel. Not only is it unique for that reason, the original Padel court at Rye is also one of a kind on these shores in that it is a block construction and made not from re-enforced glass but concrete and render, and a project of passion for members John Farmer and Freddie Menzies who had fallen for the game when on holiday in Spain.
Is the playing experience different? Yes, but is it worse, absolutely not so much so that it is perhaps slightly surprising that this template for court construction didn’t catch on anywhere else in the UK as these block courts are popular on the continent, and may be an idea to bring up in urban regeneration plans. Whilst it might not be a question of economics ( we got the quotes and bricks and mortar are the same price as 12mil glass) and taste, we do admit the viewing aspect for intrigued passers by is not as good as on the glass courts.
Rye Lawn Tennis club was 100 years old in 2022 and just to make sure it is moving with the times, they have constructed a brand new glass portico court which opened for play in April 2022.
The Padel courts are set amongst a staggeringly good grass court complex, often the ones that perhaps succumb to Padel developments. But not here, all forms of tennis look set to co-exist happily for another 100 years. We don’t write this in jest, the UK has many protected games that are seasonal like lawn tennis, like lawn green bowls, but increasingly our sporting and leisure habits are less seasonal and as our impatience to wait grows, so will the number of multisport games like Padel.
Often voted the best seaside town in Sussex, quaint doesn’t quite do the Rye Tennis and Padel club justice, as this is a beast of a club in possibly one of the best settings in the UK. And of course if you can find a member, or crack the nod from the secretary at Rye Golf Club, then you can be sure of one of the best golf/ Padel days available in the UK.
Explore the map feature to easily find Padel clubs accross the UK
LATEST NEWS
UK PADEL: Your 15:30 Newsletter is Here!
New O50 Championships Format Delivers It’s been a busy period for our competitions and the decision to revamp the Over‑50s County Championships has proved a success. Tournament organiser Mark Ayers said: “The move to a three-day format has made a real difference. It’s...
Cheshire deny Surrey clean sweep as revamped Over-50s County Championships launch in style
The weekends UK PADEL Over-50s County Championships marked a successful debut for the competition’s new structure, with a three-day format and two-tier system delivering quality competition across all categories. While Surrey underlined their strength with two County...
UK PADEL: Your 15:30 Newsletter is Here!
NUPL Finals Day Coming to Bristol on Wednesday UK PADEL is proud to serve as title sponsor of the National Universities Padel League (NUPL) Finals Day coming up next Wednesday at Rocket Padel, Bristol. It’s a high-intensity knockout competition starting promptly at...
UK PADEL: Your 15:30 Newsletter is Here!
The Unstoppable Rise of Padel in Numbers British padel has just hit a major milestone - and it’s great news for the whole UK PADEL community. New LTA figures show a remarkable DOUBLING in participation in one year, with 860,000 players in 2025, some 1,553 courts...
RULES
What Is a Padel Court?
What Is a Padel Court? A Padel court sits somewhere between a tennis court and a squash court. The ground-markings are similar to those of tennis with two service boxes on each side of a tennis-like net, and another zone at the back of the court. This zone is,...
Who and what is a Bandeja?
Who or what is a Bandeja? I hear you ask… Bandeja is the Spanish translation for the word ‘tray’. I know confusing, right? Well, actually it’s not, you see in Padel terms Bandeja means a sliced volley. In Padel, a player's aim is to keep their opponent at the back of...
The Racket
The Racket Almost uniquely among racket sports, the Padel racket has no strings. Instead, the impact surface is generally made of fiberglass or carbon fiber, resting above a rubber core in a carbon or fiberglass frame. But, as with most sport equipment, there is quite...
The Ball – What’s the difference between Tennis balls and Padel balls
The Ball. What’s the difference between Tennis balls and Padel balls? Padel balls and tennis balls have a lot in common. For a start, they are a pretty similar size, and they are both essentially an air-filled rubber bladder with fuzz on the outside, each that same...
Explore the map feature to easily find Padel clubs accross the UK
LATEST NEWS
UK PADEL: Your 15:30 Newsletter is Here!
New O50 Championships Format Delivers It’s been a busy period for our competitions and the decision to revamp the Over‑50s County Championships has proved a success. Tournament organiser Mark Ayers said: “The move to a three-day format has made a real difference. It’s...
Cheshire deny Surrey clean sweep as revamped Over-50s County Championships launch in style
The weekends UK PADEL Over-50s County Championships marked a successful debut for the competition’s new structure, with a three-day format and two-tier system delivering quality competition across all categories. While Surrey underlined their strength with two County...
UK PADEL: Your 15:30 Newsletter is Here!
NUPL Finals Day Coming to Bristol on Wednesday UK PADEL is proud to serve as title sponsor of the National Universities Padel League (NUPL) Finals Day coming up next Wednesday at Rocket Padel, Bristol. It’s a high-intensity knockout competition starting promptly at...
UK PADEL: Your 15:30 Newsletter is Here!
The Unstoppable Rise of Padel in Numbers British padel has just hit a major milestone - and it’s great news for the whole UK PADEL community. New LTA figures show a remarkable DOUBLING in participation in one year, with 860,000 players in 2025, some 1,553 courts...
RULES
What Is a Padel Court?
What Is a Padel Court? A Padel court sits somewhere between a tennis court and a squash court. The ground-markings are similar to those of tennis with two service boxes on each side of a tennis-like net, and another zone at the back of the court. This zone is,...
Who and what is a Bandeja?
Who or what is a Bandeja? I hear you ask… Bandeja is the Spanish translation for the word ‘tray’. I know confusing, right? Well, actually it’s not, you see in Padel terms Bandeja means a sliced volley. In Padel, a player's aim is to keep their opponent at the back of...
The Racket
The Racket Almost uniquely among racket sports, the Padel racket has no strings. Instead, the impact surface is generally made of fiberglass or carbon fiber, resting above a rubber core in a carbon or fiberglass frame. But, as with most sport equipment, there is quite...
The Ball – What’s the difference between Tennis balls and Padel balls
The Ball. What’s the difference between Tennis balls and Padel balls? Padel balls and tennis balls have a lot in common. For a start, they are a pretty similar size, and they are both essentially an air-filled rubber bladder with fuzz on the outside, each that same...