Think pink: how Destination Padel put Northwich on the padel map

If you have driven past Winnington Business Park in Northwich and wondered why people emerge looking quite so pleased with themselves, the answer is padel. Destination Padel opened its flagship indoor club there in December 2024, and it has quickly become one of the county's go-to venues for the racket sport that has swept Britain.

The club is impossible to mistake for anywhere else. Its five panoramic courts are laid with bright pink turf framed by black steel, with the colours reversed on a central show court that has seating for spectators. Alongside the courts are stylish social spaces, a café and terrace views, so the post-match debrief is very much part of the experience.

The look was entirely deliberate. Co-founder Liam O'Dwyer told The Padel Paper that the team wanted to stamp its mark on Cheshire with high-spec indoor facilities and a distinctive twist. "Our pink turf and black steel is going to look awesome and be a real talking point. It sets us apart. Padel is a disruptor, so let's give people even more of a reason to talk about it," he said.

O'Dwyer was also generous about those who went before, acknowledging The Padel Club as trailblazers for the sport in the area. Since then, Cheshire's padel scene has blossomed, with new clubs opening across the county, but Destination Padel's bold branding has helped it carve out its own identity.

The business did not stop at one site. A second indoor club, with three courts, opened at Stanley Green Retail Park in Handforth in January 2025, bringing the same approach to players on the north-eastern edge of the county.

Part of padel's appeal is how quickly beginners can enjoy it. Played in doubles on an enclosed court, with the walls in play, it combines elements of tennis and squash but is easier to pick up than either, which makes it a natural fit for groups of friends, families and colleagues. Indoor courts, meanwhile, mean the Cheshire weather need never get in the way.

For anyone curious about trying the sport for the first time, a club built around being sociable is an ideal place to start. And there are few more cheerful places to lose a set than on a pink court.

Courts at both Northwich and Handforth can be booked via destination-padel.com and the Playtomic app.