Operations

Running a Padel Club: Complete Operations Guide

January 12, 202613 min read

You've built the club. Now you need to run it profitably. Here's the complete operations guide — staffing, technology, daily routines, and the KPIs that matter.

Staffing Model

A 6-court club typically needs 11 full-time equivalents:

Role	Count	Key Responsibilities

|------|-------|---------------------|

General Manager	1	P&L ownership, strategy, partnerships
Front Desk	2	Bookings, customer service, membership sales
Head Coach	1	Program design, coach management, academy
Coaches	2-3	Private lessons, group clinics, events
Maintenance	2	Court upkeep, facility cleaning, equipment
F&B Manager	1	Café/bar operations, inventory, events
F&B Staff	1-2	Service, preparation, event catering

Total monthly payroll: $25,000-$45,000 depending on market. Dubai and US are at the high end; Spain, Thailand, and emerging markets at the low end.

Daily Operations Checklist

Morning (6-8 AM)

Court inspection: check turf, glass panels, lighting

Sand redistribution if needed (every 2-3 days)

F&B setup and inventory check

System check: booking platform, POS, access control

Midday (12-2 PM)

Quick court clean between sessions

Social media post (content calendar)

Coaching schedule review for afternoon/evening

Evening Close (10 PM - 12 AM)

Full court sweep and sand grooming

Revenue reconciliation

Incident/maintenance log

Next-day prep

Technology Stack

Four systems you need from day one:

Booking platform — Playtomic, The Padel Society, or CourtReserve. Handles online bookings, recurring sessions, and payments.

POS system — Square, SumUp, or Lightspeed. For F&B, pro shop, and walk-in payments.

Access control — Automated door/gate system linked to bookings. Reduces front desk dependency during off-peak hours.

Court cameras — Optional but valuable. Live streaming for leagues, replay for coaching, security for off-hours.

Court Maintenance Schedule

Task	Frequency	Time	Notes

|------|-----------|------|-------|

Sand grooming	Daily	15 min/court	Use drag mat, redistribute evenly
Turf brushing	Weekly	30 min/court	Counter pile direction
Glass cleaning	Weekly	20 min/court	Inside and outside panels
Deep sand clean	Monthly	1 hr/court	Remove debris, level sand
Turf inspection	Quarterly	30 min/court	Check for wear, seam integrity
LED check	Monthly	15 min/court	Replace any dimming units
Full turf replacement	5-7 years	2 days/court	Budget $2,000-$3,000/court

KPIs That Matter

Track these weekly, review monthly:

Occupancy rate — below 45% needs action, 60% is target, above 75% means expand

Revenue per court — $8K-$15K/month depending on market

Coaching attachment rate — % of bookings that include coaching (target: 20%+)

Customer retention — monthly active players returning within 30 days (target: 65%+)

F&B revenue per visit — $8-$15 average spend target

NPS score — survey quarterly, target 50+

Common Mistakes

Under-investing in coaching: Clubs that treat coaching as an afterthought leave 15-20% revenue on the table

Ignoring F&B: A good café/bar extends average visit time from 1.5 to 2.5 hours and adds $8-$15 per visit

No community building: Leagues, social nights, and tournaments create stickiness. Clubs with active communities have 40% lower churn

Deferred maintenance: Sand degradation and turf wear compound. Preventive maintenance costs 1/5 of reactive replacement

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