Impact of Public Courts to Private Clubs
- Markus Gaebel
- Oct 14
- 7 min read
A discussion paper by Markus Gaebel founder of the Racquet Sports Institute
Across many countries, sports policy has shifted from an elite focus to mass participation. This pivot has unlocked substantial public investment in low-cost community facilities—from free municipal pickleball courts to refurbished public tennis and padel courts.
The logic behind the impact of public courts is simple: when local authorities offer easy, low- or no-cost access, nearby commercial clubs feel the pressure. If players can book a park court for little or nothing, why pay a premium membership at a private venue?
Public money is flowing into grassroots infrastructure. In the UK, for example, £30 million has been committed to upgrade thousands of park tennis courts. Town councils and recreation departments are building new courts or repurposing old ones to make play ultra-accessible. The societal upside is clear—higher participation, better public health, and stronger social inclusion. The commercial reality is tougher: low-cost public supply can erode the pricing power and utilization of private clubs unless they clearly differentiate.
As examples, I will look at squash in England – the motherland of squash, pickleball in the United States – the motherland of pickleball, and padel in Spain – the motherland of padel.
England: Squash Clubs Declining in the Mass-Participation Era
England provides a cautionary tale of how broader trends and public options can affect commercial racquet clubs. Squash was once hugely popular in the UK – in the 1970s and ’80s there were thriving clubs with waiting lists to book courts. However, in recent decades the sport’s participation has declined sharply, and many private squash clubs have closed or downsized. The numbers are stark: the number of people playing squash in England dropped from about 425,600 in 2016 to just 250,000 in 2023. That’s a more than 40% decline in seven years.
A variety of factors contributed to squash’s decline – the game has struggled to attract the generation Z compared to flashier, newer sports. But access and cost also play a role. Historically, many squash courts in England were in private clubs. As participation fell, the financial model of dedicated squash clubs became unsustainable. We saw numerous facilities repurposed: larger health clubs converted squash courts into gyms or fitness studios. In other cases, standalone squash club properties were sold off for redevelopment, especially if they sat on valuable urban land.
Meanwhile, squash has remained available in some public leisure centers and multisport complexes, often subsidized by local councils or universities, where court fees are minimal. So a player who loves squash might not need a private “squash club” membership at all – they could pay a few pounds to book a court at the municipal sports center. Over time, the presence of these pay-as-you-go public courts (combined with the overall participation drop) has dwindled the market for commercial squash clubs.
United States: Pickleball’s Public Court Explosion and Private Club Challenges
Across the Atlantic, a very different racquet sport – pickleball – has seen explosive growth, and much of it has played out on public courts. Pickleball’s rise since 2020 has been nothing short of meteoric: it’s been the fastest-growing sport in the U.S. for three years running, with an estimated 3.5 million players in 2019 jumping to over 13 million by 2023, and possibly 15+ million by end of 2025. To accommodate this boom, communities have been quick to build courts.
All across the country, municipal parks and recreation departments are converting underutilized tennis courts or empty blacktop into pickleball courts. Some cities have even built dedicated pickleball complexes with dozens of courts in one place. The result is an abundance of places to play. As of today, approximately 60% of the nearly 78,800 pickleball courts in the U.S. are nonprofit. From the viewpoint of a private business, it creates a conundrum: How do you sell something that people can often get it virtually for free?
Private pickleball clubs do exist in the U.S. – typically they offer indoor courts, organized leagues, coaching, and nicer amenities. Many tennis and country clubs have also added pickleball to keep their members happy. But, for a commercial operator, it can be hard to convince players to pay $100+ per month for an indoor membership.
We’ve already seen signs of market correction. One high-profile example was in Florida, where an ambitious startup built two large indoor pickleball clubs aiming to be the “premium” pickleball experience. Despite the hype, the venture closed its doors abruptly in 2023, citing insufficient financial resources. As one observer remarked, this appeared to be a “business problem, not a pickleball problem” – meaning pickleball participation is strong, but turning it into a profitable private enterprise is tricky when public supply is so abundant.
Spain: Municipal Padel Courts Everywhere – A Boon and a Test for Clubs
Spain is home to another racquet sport phenomenon: padel, which has become a national craze. Padel’s growth in Spain in the last decade has been remarkable – by 2024 Spain boasted about 17,000 padel courts and nearly 4,500 padel facilities across the country. That corresponds to roughly one padel court for every 3,000 inhabitants, the highest density of padel courts in the world.
This means that virtually every town or neighborhood has padel courts within easy reach. Critically, many of these courts are built or supported by municipalities as part of public sports offerings. Local governments see padel as a way to promote active lifestyles – it’s extremely popular across age groups and genders, and it’s social and fun, aligning with that mass participation ethos.
The impact on commercial padel clubs? It’s a nuanced picture. On one hand, padel’s popularity is so vast in Spain that both public and private facilities are thriving. The presence of public courts arguably accelerated the sport’s growth – by removing cost barriers, millions of Spaniards could try padel, fall in love with it, and then some of them became paying customers for private clubs or leagues.
Unlike squash in England or pickleball in the U.S., padel’s public vs private dynamic is less adversarial because demand still exceeds supply in many areas. However, there is certainly competition. Private padel clubs have had to stay sharp to attract players who could easily go to the city-run courts next door. I’ve observed that successful commercial padel centres in Spain focus on quality and programming: for example, offering covered or indoor courts (since many municipal courts are outdoors only), better playing surfaces, coaching academies for kids, ladders and tournaments for enthusiasts, and amenities like locker rooms, equipment rentals, and social lounges. In essence, they sell an experience around padel, not just the court space. And because padel is often played as a casual social activity, many amateurs don’t mind paying a bit for the nicer environment at a private club – but they have to feel they’re getting something extra for their money.
Spain’s case underscores that even in a high-growth sport, public provision sets the baseline expectation of access, and commercial venues must build on top of that foundation rather than simply replicate it.
Impact of Public Courts - Adapting and Thriving: Differentiation is Key for Commercial Clubs
Despite the challenges highlighted, I want to end on a positive and forward-looking note. Public investment in racquet sports is, fundamentally, a great thing – it creates a larger pool of active players and raises the profile of these sports overall. Commercial clubs should not view it as a death knell, but rather as a call to adapt. Yes, the days are gone when a club could rely on exclusivity or scarcity of facilities to drive membership. Instead, private operators must differentiate through service, quality, and programming depth. I firmly believe that commercial racquet sports facilities remain a strong investment – but only with clear positioning, strategic focus, and professional management.
What does that mean in practice? In my experience working with clubs, it comes down to a few focus areas:
Superior Experience: A private club should offer an experience beyond what a public court provides. This could be pristine facilities, extra amenities like gyms or yoga, saunas, pro shops and comfortable lounges, or simply cleaner courts and better lighting. It’s about quality that players can see and feel.
Community & Programs: Public courts are often “show up and play.” A club can distinguish itself by fostering a community – organizing leagues, ladders, social events, tournaments, junior academies, and clinics. Program depth creates belonging and routine.
Strategic Positioning: Clubs need to know their local market and focus on their strengths. Find a niche and excel there. It is not enough, as is the case with most community facilities, to simply provide a court for booking — successful clubs must go beyond that and create a differentiated experience.
Public-Private Collaboration: Rather than fight the public facilities, some commercial operators can partner with local authorities. For instance, a private coaching company might run programs on public courts (with permission) and then funnel interested players into its own club for advanced training. Creative partnerships can turn a would-be competitor into an ally.
Professional Management: Lastly, running a sports facility in this landscape requires professional management practices. Clubs that are well-managed will outlast those that operate on nostalgia or outdated models. There is less slack in the system now; you have to be on top of your game as an operator.
In conclusion, the rise of public racquet sports facilities since 2020 has undeniably created new challenges for private clubs in Europe and the U.S. Yet, I remain optimistic for the private sector. The appetite for racquet sports is higher than ever. Commercial clubs that embrace a mindset of service, quality, and community can not only survive but thrive.
The paradigm has shifted, but adaptation is possible. Public and private sectors both have roles to play in a healthy sports ecosystem. The most forward-thinking club operators already understand this and are reinventing their offerings accordingly. As someone who has seen many clubs struggle and succeed, my honest advice is this: embrace the change, double down on what makes your facility special, and never forget that we’re ultimately in the business of delivering enjoyment and value to players.
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