Morganfield, Kentucky Opens New Public Pickleball Courts at City Park

Three years after residents first proposed the idea, the Union County Pickleball Complex at Morganfield City Park held its ribbon-cutting ceremony on Friday, March 13, with city leaders officiating at 4:30 p.m. and players taking to the courts immediately after.

The project traces directly to a grassroots push from local enthusiasts. Cheryl Ladd described attending a clinic in Owensboro as the spark that set things in motion. "I had gotten an interest in pickleball, and we went to Owensboro to a clinic, and we came back, and that's when we kind of hooked up with Ronnie and decided that we wanted to bring it into the county," she said. Her collaborator, Ronnie Bradford, had his own moment of conviction while playing farther south. "I was traveling south playing pickleball, and I saw the gathering of all the people, young and old, playing the sport," Bradford said. "I thought this would be an ideal thing for Union County."

In 2023, multiple residents formally proposed adding courts to Morganfield City Park, setting off what would become a years-long planning process carried out in partnership between Union County and the City of Morganfield. Local officials have framed the completed facility as an investment in community recreation and an enhancement to existing park amenities.

The grand opening included open play on all courts following the ribbon cutting. A follow-up pickleball clinic was scheduled for 9 a.m. on Saturday for anyone looking to learn the game or sharpen their skills. Attendees at the ceremony were also introduced to the court reservation system: promotional materials distributed at the event include a QR code that players can scan to book court time for future sessions.

The new complex gives western Kentucky players a dedicated local venue, removing the need to travel to Owensboro or points further south to find organized play. The facility is designed to accommodate both seasoned competitors and first-timers, with organizers emphasizing cross-generational appeal as a central feature of the project from the beginning.