Smashing Start: Oceanco’s Padel Tournament at 1970

Golf Makes Room on the Throne

For decades, golf has reigned as the sport of luxury travel — the fixture built into resorts, private clubs and executive itineraries. Now it's sharing that throne. Padel has emerged as one of the fastest-growing sports in the world, with participation surging across Spain, the wider Mediterranean, the UAE and, increasingly, the Americas.

Played in doubles on an enclosed court roughly a third the size of a tennis court, with glass walls that keep the ball in play far longer, it rewards positioning and touch over raw power — a beginner and a seasoned athlete can share a court and both have fun. That accessibility is precisely why it has migrated so quickly from neighbourhood clubs into five-star resorts, private members' clubs and superyacht itineraries.

Casa de Campo's New Game

Few destinations illustrate the shift as vividly as Dominican Republic luxury resort Casa de Campo. More than fifty years after Pete Dye first carved the famous golf course Teeth of the Dog out of the coastline, the resort is proving it can still throw one of the best parties in the Caribbean — and this December, that party has a padel net at its centre. From 17–20 December, Casa de Campo plays host to 1970, the Dominican Republic Superyacht Rendezvous: a four-night takeover bringing together a fleet of superyachts, their owners and a lineup of experiences built for people who don't do anything by halves.

Alongside world-class golf, the event's Signature Experiences roster includes a dedicated Padel Open hosted by Oceanco — a private pro-am tournament pairing accomplished professionals with invited amateurs for an afternoon that trades handicaps for high-fives at the resort's Racket Centre. 

Oceanco and the Social Anchor

That Padel Open is presented by Oceanco, the Dutch shipyard known for some of the world's largest custom superyachts, underscoring how firmly the sport has become part of the brand's approach to hospitality. The afternoon moves fluidly between court and pool, with guests able to retreat poolside between matches while a DJ keeps the mood social rather than strictly competitive.

It's a format built around connection as much as the game itself, and it fits naturally into an event like 1970, where the sport becomes a way for owners, brokers and guests to mingle off the water as readily as on it.

What makes the sport resonate so strongly with today's travelers is its social contract: a game meant to be played with friends, not alone. In an era where guests increasingly value shared experience over solitary status symbols, that's precisely the currency luxury hospitality — on land and at sea — is chasing.

We noticed that [padel] is a very beautiful way to interact and connect with people.

Paris Baloumis, Oceanco