Page 62 - Las Vegas Golf & Leisure Fall 2020

LEISURE

well in this doubles-only sport. Next comes the racquetball
twist as glass walls are in play, and players can hit shots off
the walls. If a player misses a shot, they can be saved by it
bouncing off a wall. It the ball is hit before it touches the
ground a second time, the point is still going.

RRA Padel Las Vegas currently has about 100 members,
ranging in age from eight to a few in their 70s. And it’s grow-
ing by the day. “When we have people come off the court,
and this is over a year and a half, we’ve had hundreds of peo-
ple come off the court with a smile,” says Adam Cantrell,
the club’s manager. That includes people from around the
world who are stopping in at RRA Padel Las Vegas if their
travels have them landing in Las Vegas. “We’ve had peo-
ple from South Africa, Spain, England, Sweden, and other
places here,” he says. “And Gus Hansen (from World Series
of Poker fame) rented a house across the street and was here
every morning with a friend playing for a few hours and
then again in the evenings. It’s really catching on.”

Currently, the U.S. has just 67 courts, eight of them in
Vegas. “There are two in San Diego, one in L.A., a hand-
ful in Texas and Florida,” Cantrell says. He added that the
reason for the growth is simple: People can still be com-
petitive without the wear and tear of tennis. “The court is
an AstroTurf-covered sand,” Cantrell says. “The court plays
like a clay tennis court so people can slide into shots.” It’s
not only a competitive sport, but a way to form friendships.
“It’s great for everybody. There’s not as much room to cover
and the rallies last longer. It’s more of a finesse sport than
a power sport. It’s really easy to learn, but tough to master.”

Interested? We thought so. There is a variety of member-
ship options available, and Cantrell says they are more than
happy to work with people. “We have a lot of different pack-
ages. We know there are people with families and some
people who may travel a lot. We definitely have something
that will fit everyone’s lifestyle.”

There’s also an impressive, state-of-the-art clubhouse.
“What’s neat is the clubhouse features showers, a juice bar
and just about anything else people can want,” Cantrell
says. “We can host meetings, family reunions…you name it,
we can host it. People can get their business out of the way,
and then get out on the courts.”

60 LAS VEGAS GOLF & LEISURE FALL 2020 www.lasvegasgolfandleisure.com