S'pore's most expensive CC badminton court is in Braddell Heights. Why, & is it worth the price?

The revamped Braddell Heights Community Centre (CC) drew furrowed brows recently for its badminton court booking fees.

After its recent renovation, prices for its badminton court during peak hours more than doubled, from S$10/hr to S$25/hr.

This makes it the most expensive publicly-run badminton court in Singapore, per hour.

But why?

I decided to find out.

Price overview

Before anything, it's worth recognising that badminton courts at CCs are, on average, relatively inexpensive.

I reached out to a People's Association (PA) spokesperson, who told me that there are more than 80 CCs, out of 112 in total, that have badminton courts available.

These “badminton courts” are actually multi-purpose halls at the different CCs made available for badminton playing.

Aside from Braddell Heights CC, the booking prices for these courts range from S$3 to S$18, averaging at S$7.50 per hour.

That's a pretty big disparity.

Other options

Besides CC courts, shuttlers can also book courts with ActiveSG or private operators.

While ActiveSG rents out mainly school halls for badminton playing, they also have a small number of public spaces, like halls at Heartbeat @ Bedok and Our Tampines Hub.

ActiveSG badminton courts cost S$3.50/hr for non-peak use, and S$7.40/hr for peak-hour use for Singapore Citizens and Permanent Residents.

The standard rate, which applies to foreigners, is S$4.60/hr non-peak and S$9.70/hr peak.

As for private badminton courts, these are run by the Singapore Badminton Association at KFF Badminton Arena along Guillemard Road.

They're split into two categories: Premium and VIP.

The difference between the two is that the VIP courts are air-conditioned and only have three courts side-by-side, while the premium courts are not air-conditioned and have nine courts in one arena.

Without GST, premium courts are S$15/hr non-peak and S$30/hr peak. There is also a super-peak rate (11pm to 1am) of S$26/hr.

As for VIP courts, rates are S$25/hr non-peak and S$40/hr peak.

Courts at KFF Badminton Arena are also specially turfed for the sport.

Courts at The Kallang in the OCBC Arena are S$5/hr non-peak and S$8/hr peak for Singapore Citizens and PRs.

The standard rate, which applies to everyone else, is S$6.50/hr non-peak and S$13/hr peak.

Factors for consideration

It's a no-brainer that public, non-profit facilities should cost less than private, for-profit ones.

And it does seem that they generally do.

Braddell Heights CC cuts it close, though.

Its rates are S$25/hr peak and S$15/hr non-peak, which puts it on par with the rates for the premium and VIP courts at KFF.

A key reason given was that the CC had just been reopened following three years of renovations.

The PA spokesperson told me that each CC sets its facility prices independently, and they are decided based on the age and condition of its facilities, usage levels and maintenance costs.

Age, condition, quality

That said, with its above-average price tag, how does it compare to other publicly-run courts?

I visited a few CC courts to collect qualitative data, quantitative information, and to play some badminton.

Braddell Heights CC

Braddell Heights CC closed for renovations in 2022 and reopened in November 2025.

My first impression? You can't deny that it's new.

It's also conveniently located, with Nex shopping mall and Serangoon MRT and bus interchange just a few minutes away on foot.

However, with the air-conditioning and fans switched off and the doors closed, the courts felt rather stuffy.

The PA staff at the service counter told me this was to prevent the game experience from being affected by wind, but players have the option of opening the hall’s doors for ventilation.

There were two groups of shuttlers there that afternoon, and they did look like they were sweating quite a bit.

When asked what brought them to the CC for their game, they shared that other courts were booked out.

They also made comparisons to other CC courts, such as at Bidadari CC, which they told me was air-conditioned.

Bidadari CC

Just one stop away from Braddell Heights CC is Bidadari CC.

Courts at the CC, which opened in 2023, cost S$8-9/hr non-peak and S$14-15/hr peak — above average, but still a fair bit cheaper than at Braddell Heights.

When I opened the doors to the badminton courts, I was hit in the face by a strong gust of cold air. A stark contrast with Braddell Heights.

Like at Braddell Heights, both courts were occupied at the time of my visit.

A group of recreational shuttlers told me that what they paid was expensive, but splitting it among the group made it easier to stomach.

They paid S$14 in total for their game that day.

Like at Braddell Heights, it was pretty well-located.

Woodleigh Square Mall, Woodleigh Hawker Centre, and Woodleigh MRT and bus interchange are located adjacent to the CC.

Bishan CC

Now for the cheaper ones.

Nearby, Bishan CC offers its badminton courts at S$4/hr non-peak and S$5/hr peak.

Its courts are located inside a large hall that is pretty dated, but seems decently maintained.

No frills here, and it did feel a little stuffy at the time of visit, which was in the late afternoon.

But the fans were switched on here, which helped some.

Bishan CC is also near a plethora of amenities — Junction 8, Bishan MRT, the bus interchange and a whole lot of food courts.

Kim Seng CC

Finally, tucked away amidst condominium stacks in Havelock was Kim Seng CC, built in the 1980s and upgraded in the 90s. Pretty old.

Courts at Kim Seng CC are S$3-5/hr non-peak and S$5-8/hr peak, making them among the most affordable in Singapore and on the cheaper end among CC courts.

Like Bishan CC, it seemed dated but well-maintained.

The courts were empty at the time of the visit, which was in the morning, but the CC staff told me that the fans could be turned on if players wished to do so.

Arguably, Kim Seng CC is not as conveniently located as Braddell Heights, Bishan, or Bidadari CC.

The nearest mall is Great World, about 11 minutes away on foot.

Havelock MRT station is about a five-minute walk from the CC.

Verdict

Braddell Heights was the newest. But it wasn't necessarily superior in terms of quality.

It felt especially strange when compared with Bidadari CC, which was comparatively new, had an air-conditioned court and similar conveniences, but at lower prices.

I also did a quick check on the OnePA portal. At the time of writing, Braddell Heights CC has the largest number of unbooked slots compared to the three other CCs over two weekends in March.

Over the Mar. 13 to 15 weekend, out of 288 slots across the four CCs, there were 21 unbooked slots, all of which are at Braddell Heights CC.

Over the Mar. 20 to 22 weekend, there were 28 unbooked slots, all found at Braddell Heights CC too.

It's not hard to correlate this with its unusually high price tag.

I found the price especially uncompetitive when I compared its courts to those at KFF Badminton Arena, which are similarly priced but are specially turfed for badminton playing.

Between the two, I'd probably go for the private option any time.

What it means

For now, Braddell Heights is an exception.

But could it set the new standard for CC badminton courts in Singapore?

Older courts require maintenance, too. And the government has announced that 50 new multi-purpose courts for badminton and pickleball will be built over the next five years.

If this is what we can expect — priced similarly with privately-run courts, but with more basic facilities — it might not bode well for the future of CC badminton courts.

Responding to Mothership's queries, a SportSG spokesperson said that more details on the new courts, including their location and booking rates, will be announced when available.

The spokesperson added that SportSG is committed to ensuring that "all facilities remain affordable and accessible to the public".

Based on current booking rates, badminton courts range from S$3.50 to S$9.70 per hour, while pickleball courts range from S$3.50 to S$12.50 per hour, the spokesperson pointed out.

The spokesperson further explained that, at present, the booking rates for ActiveSG's facilities are priced according to the type of facility and are independent of location.

For example, all badminton courts at ActiveSG sport centres have the same booking rates.

However, the price may vary according to the type of facility, such as whether it is indoors or outdoors.

This same approach will be applied to the new courts, the spokesperson said.

Top image via Mothership, OnePA