Unlike tennis, badminton doesn't require players to kiss the ring of the line judge, nor are players required to grunt every note of H.M.S. Pinafore with each consecutive serve. Enjoy badminton's more reasonable conventions with today's Groupon: for $13, you get a drop-in play (up to an $8 value), racket rental ($5), and six shuttlecocks ($13) at Bay Badminton Center. This Groupon is good at Bay Badminton Center's locations in Burlingame, South San Francisco, and Milpitas.

Bay Badminton Center gives shuttlecock strikers an extensive facility and all the necessary gear to play the traditional sport. Each location has at least nine regulation-size courts, each with a shock-absorbent Robbins floor system that reduces slipping and the risk of turning into blueberry goo. Plus, there's free parking and a full-service pro shop stocked with slick badminton shoes, clothing, bags, and top-notch stringing services. Take advantage of the clean locker rooms, or surf the free WiFi to find info on reverse jetpacks.

Reviews

Bay Badminton Center has appeared in various local press outlets, including the San Francisco Chronicle and the Daily Journal. Yelpers give the Burlingame location a four-star average, and the center has more than 1,700 Facebook fans.

• "Here, in America, people think of it as this lawn sport, but they forget that it's the fastest of all racket sports," says [Bay Badminton partner Victor] Lo. "At top speed, the shuttlecock is traveling at 200 miles per hour! And it's also the second-most played competitive sport in world, next to soccer. – Jeff Yang, San Francisco Chronicle
• …Bay Badminton Center opened its doors on Adrian Road as well. The 40,000-square-foot indoor facility offers 16 courts and has held team-building events for companies such as Genentech and Yelp. Victor Lo, one of the owners of Bay Badminton said being indoors lessens the chances of the shuttlecock being affected by the wind. – Susan Robles, Daily Journal