How to book a court, and what the price includes

Booking is where most first attempts stall — not because it is hard, but because every venue does it slightly differently and the conventions are never written down anywhere.

Where the booking happens

Three patterns. Some venues use a shared booking platform, where one account works across many locations and you can see live availability. Some run booking on their own website. And some still take bookings by phone or at the desk, which is more common at smaller places and at venues attached to a wider sports club.

The listings on this site record which of the three a venue uses, so you can tell before you start.

What you are paying for

The court, for a block of time — most often ninety minutes, sometimes sixty. The price is per court, so four players split it and two players do not. Balls are usually included; racket hire is usually extra and modest.

Peak hours are weekday evenings and weekend mornings, and they cost more nearly everywhere. If your schedule is flexible, a weekday afternoon is frequently half the price of the same court at seven in the evening.

If you are a player short

Common, and solvable. Many venues run an open or social session where they place individuals into groups; some booking platforms have a "looking for players" function attached to a booked court. Clubs with a coaching programme often have a beginners' group with room in it. Asking at the desk works better than it sounds — the staff know who is short of a fourth this week.

Before you pay, check three things

The cancellation window, which varies from twenty-four hours to none at all. Whether the court is covered, if the booking is more than a few days out and the season is uncertain. And what time the doors and the changing rooms are actually open, which for evening slots at smaller venues is not always the same as the court time.

Choosing between two venues

Look at what each one publishes: number of courts, indoor or outdoor, racket hire, coaching, parking. The city rankings order venues by Ranked Score — upvotes, published reviews and how complete the profile is — and that order is never for sale.