Kevin shares with us the story of the Barbossi Country Club. He looks back on the introduction of padel, the club's animation strategies and the future developments planned to meet the growing demand. 

The History of Barbossi Country Club

I manage the entire sports section related to padel, which includes organizing matches, events, and tournaments. I am also present on the court to give lessons and supervise young players.

As for the history of the Barbossi Country Club, it was initially dedicated to tennis, known as the Maure Vieil tennis club, and this for many years. It was subsequently bought by the Barbossi estate and since 2020 taken over by our president Mr Nagib Chbeir who has enriched our facilities by adding 3 padel courts. The club has transformed into a real country club, including a swimming pool and a fitness room, and recently, we even inaugurated a billiards academy.

The introduction of padel in our club was mainly motivated by the development and growing popularity of this sport. At the time of the creation of the country club, padel did not yet attract as many people as it does today. It was our passion for the sport, combined with the availability of sufficient space to set up padel courts, that prompted us to add it to our facilities.

Country Club of Barbossi

The integration of padel within the club

The transition to integrating padel into the club has been very well received by our members and the local community. With the tennis and padel courts located in separate areas, the club offers two separate environments in a way. This allows those who wish to play both sports to do so easily, while those who prefer to focus exclusively on tennis or padel have their own dedicated area. This set-up has encouraged a large portion of our members to explore and enjoy both disciplines.

Tennis vs Padel

Regarding bookings, padel is more successful in the club, with more bookings, rentals and attendance. However, the economic model is different from that of tennis. Tennis maintains a more traditional and associative structure, with a well-established tennis school, group lessons, and subscriptions, which generate fewer spontaneous passages.

On the other hand, for padel, we adopt a “pay and play” approach, where players pay per game without the need for an association subscription. For 250 euros, members have the possibility to buy prepaid cards, pay for rentals and benefit from subscriptions that include everything.

Boosting padel

At the beginning, when we introduced padel to the club, access was mainly based on subscriptions during the first year. The players organized themselves mainly, with a few regular subscribers, and the club only intervened for the occasional organization of tournaments. Later, we began to strengthen our reservation offer by organizing matches and tournaments more often, which allowed us to increase the activities around padel.

This boost generated interest in the club and attracted people who wanted to take lessons, participate in our tournaments or simply play. It allowed us to expand our community. Today, we organize one approved tournament and one internal tournament per month to continue to attract new players throughout the year. This summer, we plan to organize several workshops, including one in July with Twenty by Ten. We also frequently collaborate with Jérémy Scatena for setting up training courses.

Country Club of Barbossi

5 new padel courts

There are plans to add 5 new indoor padel courts in the near future, scheduled for the beginning of 2025. This expansion responds to a growing demand for padel, and it is also important to have enough courts to continue to keep customers. 

Dorian Massy

New padel fan, I am fascinated by this dynamic sport that combines strategy and agility. I find in padel a new passion to explore and share with you on Padel Magazine.

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