APAC Badminton Club opening day...

[kwun]

i dropped by the opening day of the APAC badminton club in Union City. the club is situated in a warehouse industrial complex. the location is quite nice as it is just 3 mins from 880, there are commercial as well as residential around that area.

the first pic shows the entrance of the club:

[kwun]

there are in total 8 courts in the club. 6 are in a row and 2 on the side.

[kwun]

all the courts are covered with nice green court mats made by Haokang. the owner told me that the court mat is 5mm thick laid on top of concrete. the feel of the surface makes it feel comparable with Yonex court mat, tacky enough for badminton and not overly so. i didn't have much time thus i was unable to test it out. perhaps other members can go and try it out and write a report. the standards are also made by Haokang, with a nice yellow blob shape counter weight.

[kwun]

at the very far end of the court, there is small area for table tennis. the owner will also put some foosball table to entertain the guest who are waiting for court.

[kwun]

there are plenty of sitting area on one end of the court. it should accomodate a lot of waiting members when the gym becomes crowded.

the lighting is custom made for badminton. all lights are in between courts to avoid direct glare from the fluorescent tubes.

the lighting level is plenty for badminton use. i'd say it is brighter than GGBC and comparable to Smashcity.

today during opening day, there are very few people, only 3-4 courts out of the 8 are being used. hopefully soon the word will spread and more people will come to play.

[chris-ccc]

i didn't have much time thus i was unable to test it out. perhaps other members can go and try it out and write a report.


Hi kwun,

You Californians are so lucky to have more and more Badminton courts built for the growing number of players over there.

When you get a chance to test out that venue, you might find 2 points that could be improved;
(1) The walls could be painted a shade darker. This will show up the shuttle more, when in flight.
(2) The courts could be set further apart from each other. This will prevent players from losing their concentration (afraid of stepping onto the next court) when the shuttle is hit to/along the side lines.

To the owner, Point (1) is easy to fix...... just requiring a coat of paint.
But Point (2) will be harder to fix, and he has to relinquish one court to get the space required.

But anyway, CONGRATULATIONS to APAC Badminton Club !!! :):):)

Cheers... chris@ccc

[samkool]

any pro shop on premises?

[samtruong200]

i noticed that on one side of the court, it is very close to the wall...this could cause some problems...
http://www.badmintoncentral.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=27711&stc=1&d=1169349716
http://www.badmintoncentral.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=27709&stc=1&d=1169349437

[jamesd20]

i noticed that on one side of the court, it is very close to the wall...this could cause some problems...


I agree, it looks very close, especially since there seems to be plenty of space the other side.

Often when playing near the rear end of the court, especially in doubles you feet can land 2 feet behind the back line, you can imagine you racket may have been a further 1-2 feet back.

I remember watching in a tournament once I think it was Ha Tae Kwon was smashing from the deep rear court, and he fell over because he landed outside of the actual court boundary (the court mat). THis would have been maybe 3-4 feet back.

[ctjcad]

..looks like more & more clubs are growing in the NorCal area..;) :cool:
Btw, the facility & courts look nice, clean and open. However, like others have mentioned, personally(looking at the pics), the most glaring thing i noticed is the space, which looks "restricted" and not as "roomy"(sideways from the court). I guess they've tried to layout the courts in the most effective and efficient way, but the elongated shape of the warehouse wouldn't allow it..

[Dreamzz]

looks very good indeed, although i don't understand why badminton halls have their walls painted in such light colours.
i personally prefer blue or green walls, say, anything that doesn't have a similar colour to a shuttle, must just be me getting old i guess.

[sunshineboy]

I went there last night. Their lighting is the best I have experienced. The wall color does not bother me. For the court space, I do not think it is problem either, I went to UBC most of the time and they have the same space without complain. In APAC there are two courts by the entrance having 3 feet space at one end. Hope they are not only for coaching use.

Their monthly pass is only $25, I will buy one the last day of the promotion.:)

[chris-ccc]

I went there last night. Their lighting is the best I have experienced. The wall color does not bother me. For the court space, I do not think it is problem either......

Hi sunshineboy,

In that case, All is Good and Well. :):):)

We hope that a few future champions will emerge from the APAC Badminton Club in the near future.

It is only after you have played there that you can make a proper assessment.

And it is good to know that you are enjoying yourself there.

Cheers... chris@ccc