For decades  Golf  embodied the ideal terrain for  professional networking Contracts negotiated between swings, strategic discussions in the clubhouse, relationships cultivated on the fairways: business was often conducted away from the office. But in recent years, the rules have changed. Another discipline is taking hold on the agenda of executives, managers, and entrepreneurs:  padel Faster, more accessible, less expensive, and infinitely more social, sports with glass walls are  has become the new place for professional connections. 

"Padel "Is the new golf," a phrase that sums up an era.

In business circles, the expression is now everywhere:  "Padel is the new golf”. 

The comparison is far from trivial. Padel now ticks all the boxes that golf once sought, while better meeting the expectations of a new generation of decision-makers. The sport is shorter, more dynamic, less codified, and above all  much more accessible. 

Where golf required a full day, padel fits into a  afterwork format  of an hour and a half. Where golf greens conveyed a certain social image, padel courts value proximity, exchange and spontaneity more.

This shift also reflects a cultural evolution in the professional world: managers want relationships without protocol, networking without rigidity, and meetings that resemble moments of life more than formal business appointments.

Why to build padel courts in a Golf Club?

A sport tailored for the upper-middle class

The figures confirm this impression. Padel is attracting a massive number of people from higher socio-professional categories.

According to several sector studies,  42% of practitioners are doctors, lawyers, engineers, managers, researchers or business leaders One third have a Bac+5 level qualification or higher.

This particular social dynamic partly explains the explosion of business connections around the courts. Padel is becoming a space where decision-makers meet naturally, far from meeting rooms and overly formal exchanges.

Because on the field, behaviors are quickly revealed. Pressure management, communication, adaptability, team spirit: in one game, some feel they learn more about a potential partner than after several months of professional meetings.

Why does padel encourage interaction so much?

If padel works so well in the corporate world, it's because... 'It's also thanks to the very nature of the game. 

Unlike many individual sports, it demands constant cooperation. Winning alone is impossible: you have to communicate, adapt to your partner, manage periods of weakness, and build together.

On the ground, hierarchical differences quickly disappear. A CEO and a young entrepreneur find themselves in the same game, facing the same constraints and the same emotions.

This mechanism creates a form of closeness that is very difficult to reproduce in a traditional professional setting.

The format also contributes to the concept's success. The formula is now well-established: an hour-long match, followed by a drink or dinner at the clubhouse. According to studies on players' habits, 77% extend their session with a social gathering, while 88% consider this conviviality to be one of padel's main strengths.

Paquito and Nadal face off: 1-1 between tennis and padel, with golf as the deciding factor.

Clubs are reinventing their model

The infrastructure companies quickly understood the potential of this business clientele.

 Many clubs are now developing hybrid spaces combining sport, work and events:  Meeting rooms, coworking spaces, lounge areas, premium catering or private hire for companies.

Networks like  Sphere located in particular in  Toulouse, Bordeaux, Aix-en-Provence and Paris They are fully committed to this approach. Corporate tournaments, after-work gatherings, informal meetings: padel is becoming the ideal pretext for creating lasting professional relationships.

The field is no longer just for playing. It is becoming a place for meeting, exchanging ideas, and sometimes even negotiating.

In a professional environment where human relationships are once again becoming central, this sport offers a unique framework: competitive without being aggressive, social without being artificial, intense without being inaccessible.

Golf had its own codes, its silences, and its long days. Padel works differently: fast rallies, noise, movement, slamming glass, and a shared beer after the match.

But ultimately, the logic remains the same: build trust before doing business.

And today, an entire generation of leaders seems convinced that the best connections are now built with a tennis racket in hand between bay windows.

Maceo ZERHAT

Maceo Zerhat discovered padel in 2020 in Savigny-sur-Clairis, Burgundy. He contributed to the club's expansion by bringing his energy and curiosity. Padel Magazinehe transmits his Padel"mania" by skillfully bouncing on all the latest news about your favorite sport!

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