What should we charge to hire our squash courts?

Payment as you play is becoming more and more popular worldwide for casual users. Do you know if your club’s fees for casual / visitor court hire are affordable?

Hiring squash courts for casual / visitor use (Pay2Play) is an excellent opportunity to get more people to 'Try it' and play more often. It can also provide additional income for your club which helps improve financial health.

We took a look at the membership fees information from the website of all affiliated squash clubs and all other squash facilities to find out what the current court hire and associated fees are. Below are the findings:

• A total of 63 squash clubs and other facilities (approximately 20% of all squash facilities) listed their casual court hire fees (average $8.90 for 30 minutes)
• Prices ranged from $2.50 off peak to $20 during peak for 30 minutes of court hire.
• To hire a racket, prices ranged from $2 to $7.50 per use (average $4.30).
• To borrow a ball, it cost between $1 and $3.10 per use (average $1.60).
• To use squash shoes, it cost between $2 and $3 per use.
• Towels generally cost around $2 per use.
• Safety glasses were often complimentary.

These prices compare favourably with other sports and leisure activities (depending on local circumstances). e.g. yoga ($15 per session), dance classes ($10 per session), movies ($16 per movie), ten-pin bowling ($8-22 per session), indoor netball $51 per team per session).

What your club can do:

• Utilise the iSquash Pay2Play system to look after bookings, access and payments.
• Look at what the other leisure opportunities cost in your local area.
• Work out the weekly cost of your club’s annual membership (e.g. $300 annual fees for 52 weeks = $5.77 per week).
• If membership is important to your club your casual court hire fees should work out to be slightly more (e.g. $6.50 versus $5.77) but competitive against other leisure options.

For more ideas on how your club can (re)engage with casual participants click here.