Los Naranjos Club de Golf, one of the leading golf clubs on the Costa del Sol since it was established in 1977 and known for its exceptional Robert Trent Jones design, continues its pioneering tradition with the building of what will be the largest padel tennis club in Andalucía and one of the three most significant in Spain.
In keeping with its history of innovation in the golf world, the club has decided to play a key part in the growth of padel tennis as a sports and tourism industry. Padel is the second most played sport in Spain. This initiative will be a real milestone in the region, opening a new era for the sport on the Costa del Sol and positioning the club as a benchmark in Andalucía and Spain.
With this new venture, Los Naranjos is not only expanding its range of sporting activities, but also building on its commitment to the local community and its vision of offering quality experiences to its members and visitors.
Los Naranjos Padel Club will cover 20,000m2. The master plan includes a total of 17 padel courts (12 outdoor, 4 semi-covered and one central court to World Padel Tour level) and 2 pickleball courts, together with a 1000m2 clubhouse with a bar and restaurant, gym, physio area and dedicated padel and pickleball shop as well as the changing rooms.
With all these facilities, Los Naranjos Padel Club is set to be a playing and teaching centre with something for everyone. The training programmes will be given by highly qualified teachers in classes for children and adults and summer camps. The courts will be equipped with the latest in technology and features and are sure to attract not just fans of this growing sport who are based on the Costa del Sol but also a new visitor profile from Northern Europe, where indoor padel tennis is booming.
In short, the project is not only aiming to add variety to the club’s services and value to members’ shares, but also to attract whole families and become a leading European padel centre. We spoke to Julián Romaguera, general manager of Los Naranjos GC and Los Naranjos Padel Club, about the project and what it will mean for the club and for sports tourism on the Costa del Sol.
Why did you decide to carry out this project?
We had a 20,000m2 plot of land that had been unused for many years and we felt it was time to invest in a high-quality sports project that could expand our offer. This diversification will deliver us, in addition to an increase in the value of the club’s shares and more benefits for our members, a superb place to meet for all the family, both Marbella residents and foreign visitors who are staying temporarily in the area.
What do you expect this complex will bring overall to club members and the wider Marbella community?
We should be clear of the difference between a member of the new padel and gym club and a shareholding member in the overall club. But both these groups, as well as visitors, will be able to enjoy the highest level of padel sports facilities with the best lights and features anywhere in the market.
Los Naranjos as an organisation has always had giving great hospitality to our members and guests very much in its DNA and we are convinced this will be a place where families and friends will want to come together to enjoy the sport and the different events we organise. We are very excited about the big impact this project will have on our club and the community.
Do you hope with this project to contribute to sports tourism on the Costa del Sol as much as you have done with golf?
No doubt about it. We have already seen the growth of tour operators in the world of golf and the same is already happening in the world of padel. There is significant demand for products and experiences that we have clearly defined and I have no doubt we will be up to meeting those needs in a differentiated way, including even compared to what else is being done in the padel market. We aim to contribute a lot to the padel industry, not only at a sporting level but also in making the sector more professional. We hope to really help padel tourism grown in Marbella and the Costa Del Sol.
What will make Los Naranjos Padel Club stand out in terms of technology and quality?
The name maybe doesn’t say it all. Los Naranjos Padel Club won’t just have the best quality padel courts and instruction on the market but we will also give visitors the chance to try out pickleball on our two courts, enjoy our indoor and outdoor gym, fit themselves out with one of the most recognised brands in the sport in our shop and eat in a very sporty restaurant and on an outdoor terrace everyone will love. This whole, combined offer is what sets us apart. And to top all this off we will be putting to good use the latest technology and much of that Los Naranjos Golf Club spirit which we have been growing since 1977.