Padel Cambridge 2026: Courts, Prices & Where to Play

Cambridge padel venues compared: operating outdoor courts and the announced Court One indoor project.

Cambridge Padel Courts at a Glance

Court and price figures above are drawn from each operator’s own website as of 31 August 2026. Full-court rates are shown where published, with an approximate per-person figure in brackets assuming a full four-player doubles game — check each app for the exact live price before booking.

What changed in 2026

Padel expanded around Cambridge over the past year rather than arriving all at once. PDL Padel United’s Orchard Park venue is the newest addition: it is shown as operating, with live pricing published, on the operator’s own venue page as of the last-checked date above. Separately, Court One Cambridge has been announced as a private indoor club with eight courts, three miles from the city centre. It is currently running a founding-member waitlist rather than live bookings, with no confirmed opening date published, and should not be treated as an operating venue until its own site or booking system shows live availability.

University of Cambridge Sports Centre

The University of Cambridge Sports Centre, on Philippa Fawcett Drive in West Cambridge, operates two outdoor padel courts and is open to the public, not just to students and staff. This is the venue most searches for “Cambridge University padel courts” are looking for, and it is the only verified in-city venue that doesn’t require a membership to book.Courts run in one-hour slots from 7am to 10pm. Members, Padel members and current University of Cambridge students can book up to 14 days ahead at £28 per hour; non-members can book seven days ahead at £36 per hour. Racket hire is included in the court fee, and balls can be bought at reception (£7 for a tube of three). If at least one player in a group holds a membership, the whole booking qualifies for the member rate, provided that member checks in at reception.Beginners are catered for with a 60-minute “Learn to Padel” session (30 minutes of coaching, 30 minutes of play), free for Cambridge Sport or Padel members, or £5 per person for everyone else. The university’s page also lists a Monday “Open Padel” drop-in schedule: a 10am session, followed by evening sessions from 6–7pm and 7–8pm, each free for members and £5 per person for non-members. As with any published timetable, check the current schedule on the university’s own page before planning around it, since session times can change. “Improve your Padel” coached group sessions cost £12 per person. A padel-only membership costs £15 a month or £150 a year; general Cambridge Sport membership, which also covers the gym and other facilities, starts at £32 a month.Check availability and book on the official venue page

David Lloyd Cambridge

David Lloyd’s Cambridge club, at Coldham’s Business Park off Coldhams Lane, offers dedicated outdoor padel courts — the club’s own site refers to “three dedicated courts” — as part of its racquets facilities. Access runs through club membership rather than pay-and-play: David Lloyd’s official page confirms that Platinum members have access to padel, alongside the gym, pools, spa and other racquet sports. Bookings are made through the David Lloyd Clubs app. The club’s own padel page states that members can borrow rackets and buy balls at reception, and the club runs beginner classes and social padel sessions as part of its regular racquets programme.David Lloyd hasn’t published a standalone padel-only price or day-pass rate for Cambridge, so anyone weighing this venue purely for padel should contact the club directly to confirm current membership tiers, cost and whether any non-member taster options exist.Check availability and book on the official venue page

PDL Padel United Cambridge (Orchard Park)

Padel United’s Cambridge venue sits within the Orchard Park development, on the edge of the city and administratively part of South Cambridgeshire rather than Cambridge itself, though it’s a short journey from central Cambridge. It is pay-and-play with no membership requirement, which currently makes it the most accessible padel option in the wider Cambridge area for casual, drop-in play.The site has four outdoor, floodlit courts split three doubles and one singles. The operator’s venue page states the courts are open daily from 8am to 9pm, but also labels its peak pricing band as running from 17:00 to 22:00 (10pm) on weekdays and all weekend — the published hours and the published peak-pricing window don’t quite line up. Rather than guess which is correct, treat both figures as published and use MATCHi to check actual same-day availability and closing time before you travel. Pricing: off-peak (weekdays 8am–5pm) doubles cost £20 for a full court or £5 per player; peak doubles cost £24 per court or £6 per player. Singles courts are £10 off-peak and £12 peak per court. Orchard Park Residence members get their own published rate: doubles at £16 off-peak or £19 peak per court, and singles at £8 off-peak or £10 peak per court. Racket and ball hire is available on-site, along with parking.Check availability and book on MATCHi

Court One Cambridge — announced, not yet open

Court One Cambridge is a privately run project advertising eight premium indoor courts, described on its own site as “opening 2026,” roughly three miles from the city centre, with on-site parking and EV charging, a clubhouse, changing suites and a small kitchen/café. As of 31 August 2026, the club is not open: its website offers a founding-member waitlist rather than live bookings, and does not publish a confirmed opening date, address, pricing or membership terms beyond “founder rates held for life” for those who join the waitlist. It would be the first indoor padel venue in the Cambridge area if and when it opens, but it should not be treated as bookable or operating until its own site shows live availability.Check current status on the official site

Prices and booking at a glance

• Cheapest way to try padel: the University Sports Centre’s non-member “Learn to Padel” or “Open Padel” sessions at £5 per person, or PDL Padel United’s off-peak doubles at £5 per player (four players sharing a full court).
• Cheapest regular pay-and-play: PDL Padel United Cambridge, with off-peak doubles from £20 per court and no membership needed.
• Best value with university access: £28 per hour as a Cambridge Sport member, Padel member or current student, versus £36 per hour for non-members.
• Members-only: David Lloyd Cambridge, bundled into a Platinum membership, with no published stand-alone padel price.
• Not yet bookable: Court One Cambridge, currently waitlist-only.

Each operating venue uses its own booking system — the CamUniSport app for the university, the David Lloyd Clubs app for David Lloyd, and MATCHi for PDL Padel United — so you’ll need the relevant app or site for whichever venue you choose.

Indoor versus outdoor padel in Cambridge

On the evidence checked as of 31 August 2026, every currently operating padel venue in and around Cambridge is outdoor: the University Sports Centre’s two courts, David Lloyd’s courts, PDL Padel United’s four courts, and St Ives Golf Club’s two courts. There is no verified operating indoor padel venue in the Cambridge area on that evidence. That is distinct from Court One Cambridge, which is specifically announced as an eight-court indoor facility for 2026 but has not yet opened. Anyone who specifically needs weatherproof, year-round play should check Court One’s official site for live updates before planning around it, or consider covered venues further afield in the meantime.

Beginners, lessons and social play

The University Sports Centre’s “Learn to Padel” sessions are built specifically for newcomers, and its Monday “Open Padel” drop-ins are designed to match solo players or pairs with others rather than requiring a full four to arrive together. PDL Padel United also advertises coached sessions through its venue page, though specific dates and prices for these are best confirmed directly with the venue. David Lloyd’s coaching is available to members through its standard racquets programme, alongside social padel sessions, and is not typically open to non-members. St Ives Golf Club’s own page states it welcomes both members and visitors for padel; for current lesson availability there, check Game4Padel’s booking page.

Equipment and racket hire

Equipment availability varies by venue, based on what each official page states. At the University Sports Centre, racket hire is included in the court fee, and balls are sold separately at reception. At PDL Padel United Cambridge, the venue’s own page advertises racket and ball hire on-site. At David Lloyd Cambridge, the club’s page states members can borrow rackets and buy balls at reception. St Ives Golf Club’s own padel page confirms rackets are available to hire from the golf club, though current hire pricing should be checked on Game4Padel’s booking page rather than assumed. Court One Cambridge has not published an equipment policy, since it is not open.

How to choose

If cost and flexibility matter most, and you’re comfortable travelling to the edge of the city, PDL Padel United’s pay-and-play model with no membership requirement is the simplest starting point, particularly if the Orchard Park resident rate applies to you. If proximity to central Cambridge and public, no-membership access matter more, the University Sports Centre is the venue that satisfies both, with the added benefit of structured beginner sessions. If you already hold or are considering a David Lloyd Platinum membership for its wider facilities, padel there is an added amenity rather than a separate cost to weigh on its own — check directly with the club whether any non-member taster sessions exist if you want to try before committing to membership. Anyone specifically wanting indoor courts should treat Court One as a future option to watch rather than a current choice.

Nearby Cambridgeshire: St Ives (Hunts) Golf Club

For readers happy to travel further, St Ives (Hunts) Golf Club, on Needingworth Road roughly 12 miles north-west of central Cambridge, operates two outdoor courts run through Game4Padel. Cambridgeshire’s county tennis body describes it as the first publicly bookable padel courts in Cambridgeshire, and it remains open to non-members, with both member and visitor rates available. For current prices, opening hours and equipment hire costs, check Game4Padel’s live booking page directly rather than relying on older listings, since these details are best confirmed at the point of booking.Check availability and book on Game4Padel

What to Bring to a Cambridge Padel Court

For a first session, bring comfortable sportswear, water and non-marking court shoes suitable for artificial turf. Racket access varies by venue: the University Sports Centre includes racket hire in its court fee, PDL Padel United advertises equipment hire, and David Lloyd says members can borrow rackets and buy balls at reception. Check the venue before travelling if you need equipment.Players buying their first kit may also find Padel Gameplan’s best padel rackets UK, best padel shoes UK, padel starter kit UK and padel rules UK guides useful.

More UK Padel City Guides

Planning to play elsewhere? Compare Padel Gameplan’s guides to padel in Brighton, padel in Coventry, padel in Derby and padel in Sheffield.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is there indoor padel in Cambridge? Not currently, on the evidence checked. Every operating venue in this guide — the University Sports Centre, David Lloyd, PDL Padel United and St Ives Golf Club — has outdoor courts only. Court One Cambridge is announced as an indoor venue for 2026 but has not yet opened.Is Court One Cambridge open? No, not as of 31 August 2026. It is taking founding-member waitlist sign-ups and states it is “opening 2026,” but it has not published a confirmed opening date, address, pricing or live booking system. Check courtonepadel.com for current status before assuming it’s bookable.Do I need to be a member to play padel in Cambridge? Not necessarily. The University of Cambridge Sports Centre and PDL Padel United Cambridge are both open to the public without membership, though the university charges non-members a higher hourly rate. David Lloyd Cambridge requires Platinum membership.How much does padel cost in Cambridge? It varies by venue and time. Off-peak doubles at PDL Padel United start from £20 per court (around £5 per player for four); the University Sports Centre charges £28 per hour for members and students, or £36 per hour for non-members. David Lloyd doesn’t publish a separate padel rate, since access is included within membership.Can beginners play padel in Cambridge? Yes. The University Sports Centre runs a dedicated “Learn to Padel” session and Monday drop-ins aimed at newcomers, and PDL Padel United offers coached sessions. In the UK the sport is usually just called padel, though you may see it referred to as padel tennis, particularly by newer players unfamiliar with the name.Where are the padel courts in Cambridge? The University of Cambridge Sports Centre is on Philippa Fawcett Drive in West Cambridge (CB3 0AS); David Lloyd Cambridge is at Coldham’s Business Park off Coldhams Lane (CB1 3LH), both within the city. PDL Padel United is at Orchard Park (CB24 9PP), just outside the city boundary. Court One Cambridge is described as roughly three miles from the city centre, with no exact address yet published.Can non-members book at the University of Cambridge Sports Centre? Yes. Non-members can book padel courts up to seven days in advance at £36 per hour, compared with £28 per hour and 14 days’ advance booking for members, Padel members and current students.

Which venue suits you

• Beginner: the University Sports Centre’s £5 “Learn to Padel” or “Open Padel” sessions offer structured, low-cost first experiences with racket hire included.
• Budget-conscious, regular player: PDL Padel United Cambridge, with off-peak pay-and-play from £20 per court and no membership commitment, if the Orchard Park location works for you.
• Existing or prospective David Lloyd member: padel there comes bundled with Platinum membership rather than as a separate spend — worth checking directly whether a taster session is available before joining specifically for padel.
• Social player looking to meet others: the University Sports Centre’s Monday Open Padel nights are designed to match up solo bookers and pairs.
• Anyone wanting indoor, weatherproof courts: no venue in the Cambridge area currently operates one. Court One Cambridge is the venue to watch for 2026, but treat it as unconfirmed until it has a live booking system.

Sources

• University of Cambridge Sports Centre — Padel
• David Lloyd Clubs — Padel courts in Cambridge
• David Lloyd Clubs — Cambridge racquets facilities
• Padel United UK — Cambridge Padel Club
• Court One Cambridge — official site
• Cambridgeshire Tennis — padel venue listings
• St Ives (Hunts) Golf Club — Padel
• Game4Padel — St Ives Golf Club booking page