Hi there I might have to relocate a few years to Mountain View for work. Badminton has been very important for me, so wanted to have a look how things work over there. 1) Membership is very expensive compared to what I pay in Belgium, I pay 120 euro, which is 170 USD. Membership at BBC is 550 USD. Ouch. 2) I'm a competitive player , moderate level, and I like to play against many opponents. How easily do you switch? Is there any chance that I will wait all night to find someone who wants to play with/agains me? 3) Do you have good stringers? 4) I'd like to do training twice a week, are there any trainings I can join that are of decent quality and affordable? (Did you know weekly training is included in that 170 USD I pay in Belgium So far part 1 of my questions. Thanks!
BBC in Burlingame is a good place to play. but AFAIK they are all drop in and it is difficult to find a group unless you already know someone. an alternative is Royal Badminton in Menlo Park which is a smaller but much closer to Mountain View. they have a challenge court every Tuesday with very competitive players. the pairing is pretty loose so it is easy to fit in one person. it is a pretty friendly challenge court as everyone knows everyone there and well managed by the staff there as the staff usually participate in the challenge as well. best is to come by and test out different places first before you decide. many clubs offer discount yearly membership that goes as low as $2xx. training will be extra and cost a lot depends on what type of lesson you are looking for. for 8 persons group lesson, the going rate is around US$35-40+ for one 2 hours session. stringers... there are tons. you can either take your chances with the club stringers, or you can look for the few badminton stores, or you can look for private stringers like me and others in the area. when are you going to be here?
Thanks for your reply Kwun. I'm not sure if I'm coming at all... might be within a few months. I still have to decide.
