Hamptons' First Pay-and-Play Padel Court Debuts at Triangle Tennis Club

Triangle Tennis Club has added what it calls the first padel court open to the public in the Hamptons, posting a banner on its site that reads, "NEW: THE FIRST PADEL COURT OPEN TO THE PUBLIC IN THE HAMPTONS!" and an Instagram invite dated March 28, 2023 that says, "Come see our new padel court, as we are the first in the Hamptons! Call at (631) 287-3052 or email at info@triangletennis.com to play." The club is at 411 Hampton Road, Southampton, and lists phone (631) 287-3052 and email info@triangletennis.com for reservations.

Facility listings show the Triangle property retains its two Har-Tru hydrocourts alongside a single outdoor padel court surfaced with artificial turf. Padel.fyi lists the site as "Tennis club with one outdoor padel court," notes the padel installation "Opened in November 2022," and gives a pay-and-play rate of $160 per hour while adding that "Members receive substantial discounts on Padel court rentals. Memberships vary by season, from ~$1000."

The padel installation is built over an existing Har-Tru court, with a plywood base and blue turf covering that the club describes as "artificial turf, the official surface of Pro Padel." The turf is heated in winter. Practical play details observed at an introductory session include a net that is "somewhat lower than a tennis net" and balls that "look and feel like tennis balls but are a bit softer." Padel itself is described as "a fast-moving paddle game played within an enclosed glass-and-wire 10-by-20-meter space that combines the serving and volleying of tennis with squash’s off-the-wall shots," with underhand serves off a bounce, tennis-style scoring, and an emphasis on net volleys, overhead smashes, and lobs.

Local push and permit history shaped the arrival. Doug De Groot, who said he first had the idea of building a public padel court here about eight years ago, owns Buckskill Tennis Club with his wife Kathryn and faced a puzzling permit denial that prevented finishing a padel court there last year. With Southampton Village’s blessing, a padel surface is now up at Triangle; De Groot noted the sport's pedigree, saying, "It’s extremely popular in Spain . . . some of the best players are from Argentina and Brazil," and that he "expects that padel will soon take off in this country." De Groot also told attendees that the nearest publicly accessible padel court he could name was "Miami."

Triangle Tennis Club pairs the new padel court with seasonal programming and staff; the club lists adult and junior clinics, club lessons, offsite lessons, and a pro shop, and its Instagram highlights that Szabin is available for lessons and that Elias "will be here soon." The club also advertises locker rooms and a café on the facility listing. With a pay-and-play price point reported at $160 per hour, winter-heated turf, and public access at 411 Hampton Road, Triangle’s court establishes a test case for whether padel can move from novelty to routine in the Hamptons.