For years, farm diversification has meant farm shops, holiday lets, or the occasional wedding barn. But now there is a new, slightly unexpected arrival bouncing onto the rural scene, padel. Think tennis cross squash, smaller, faster, and played off glass walls. And crucially, it’s booming.

Across the UK, demand for courts is outstripping supply, and that has got landowners thinking: could this be the next reliable income stream? The numbers suggest it might be.

Building a padel court isn’t pocket change, but it’s not out of reach either. Most UK builds land somewhere between £35,000 and £100,000 depending on how ambitious you go. Outdoor courts sit at the lower end, while indoor setups, complete with steel buildings and weatherproofing, push costs higher. The real wildcard, though, is the ground beneath your feet. If you’ve got a flat, well-drained bit of yard or an old tennis court gathering moss, you are already halfway there. If not, groundwork can quietly turn into the biggest expense on the project.

Location, in fact, is everything. A beautiful but remote field might be perfect for sheep, but it won’t necessarily fill a booking calendar. The sweet spot is somewhere accessible, within easy reach of a town, near a main road, or close to existing footfall. Farms that already run shops, cafés, or leisure activities have a head start, as padel players tend to linger (and spend). Parking is another big one; a successful court can mean a steady flow of cars, especially during evenings and weekends. If visitors can arrive easily, park comfortably, and maybe grab a coffee while they’re there, you’re onto a winner.

Indoor versus outdoor is another classic British dilemma. Outdoor courts are cheaper and simpler, but they live at the mercy of the weather – which, as we all know, is not always on our side. Indoor courts cost more upfront, but they offer year-round play, fewer cancellations, and often higher booking rates. On a farm, that might mean converting an underused barn into something far more profitable than its original purpose.

There is also something to be said for scale. One court can work, but multiple courts start to turn a side project into a destination. Groups can play together, clubs can form, and events become possible. The cost per court often drops when building several at once, and the overall business becomes more resilient.