West Wood Health Club in Leopardstown, Dublin, will build a new seven-court facility after consistent over-subscription to the existing courts.
The club, which has over 10,000 members, has enjoyed strong growth thanks in part to the innovative NextGen programme, which is a team squash competition involving groups of six players playing against each other on rotation for 12 minutes each, with 90-second rest intervals before taking on their next opponent.
After all of the matches are over, players continue to socialise during drinks and a buffet meal.
Ed Dunne, the club’s Racquet Sports Manager, explains that the social element and camaraderie on court has been key to driving interest in squash: “At the squash courts, there’s atmosphere and enthusiasm, people chatting and getting along. We don’t have that anywhere else in the club. On the gym floor, people listen to their earphones and focus on what they’re doing.
“As a result of that, when potential new members visit, the first thing we’ll do is bring them down to the squash courts. They see atmosphere, camaraderie and fun and it immediately puts a smile on potential new members’ faces. It starts the tour off in a positive way. They think, ‘I must try that!’”
Thanks to the thriving squash scene, more courts are needed to meet demand, with a new facility set to be built next to the existing club. The new centre will feature six glassback courts and an all-glass show court which the club hopes will host major international tournaments in the future.
This article was adapted from the original on Squash Facilities Network, a platform dedicated to sharing best practices for squash facilities worldwide.
