THE HAMMOCK
Observer YOU. YOUR NEIGHBORS. YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD.
VOLUME 1, NO. 3
YES, YOU’RE INVITED! PAGE 1B
FREE ON NEWSSTANDS | THURSDAY, JULY 17, 2025
‘High-injury network’ identified on A1A Study highlights 3.4 miles in The Hammock. Grants can be sought to help, but there’s no guarantee. PAGE 7A
Flagler County Dunes’ Rosato gets state pickleball recognition budget doesn’t solve beach funding woes Sandi Rosato, with over 35 years in the tennis industry, now leads pickleball teams in Hammock Dunes to compete in the FTPL.
Special beach tax plan isn’t ready, staff tells commission. PAGE 6A INSIDE NEW RITZ PLAYER Co-developer announced. PAGE 7A
THE GOLF BUSINESS
Flagler Beach to negotiate for sale of Ocean Palm Golf Course PAGE 4A
INDEX
Calendar..................... PAGE 2B Cops Corner................PAGE 2A Crossword.................. PAGE 8C Public Notices............ PAGE 5C Sports..........................PAGE 7B Tributes ...................... PAGE 2C Real Estate................. PAGE 6B
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SIERRA WILLIAMS CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Hammock Dunes Club Racquet & Sports Director Sandi Rosato has become a star in the Florida Team Pickleball League, doing something she loves. “Everybody enjoys it, and it’s a lot of fun,” Rosato said. “My group has come out and we watch, cheer. And we always finish with a little beer or Prosecco.” Rosato was recently featured in the Florida Team Pickleball League as a “pro spotlight,” detailing how Rosato became introduced to the sport. Rosato has spent over 35 years playing tennis, but fell in love with pickleball after coming to the Hammock Dunes Club. Rosato was first introduced to pickleball in 2016 in Maryland and hosted an introductory event for pickleball at her country club. Rosato quickly found an interest in the sport. “It’s just addicting,” she said. “It’s a lot of fun.” At the Hammock Dunes Club, Rosato said she dove in to playing pickleball with a passion. “I didn’t really play when I was doing events,” she said. “When I got here, I started just playing with my members, trying to figure out what the difference was, competing-wise, between tennis and pickle.” The FTPL was founded in 2023, and now has regional leagues and members across the state of Florida. According to its website, the FTPL is open to those 16 and older. Rosato said the league starts with county-by-county competitions, then regional competitions, and even has state and national levels. “So it’s a league that’s kind of building,” she said. Rosato said she joined the FTPL soon after it began in 2023 and typ-
ically has several teams competing. The FTPL just finished its 2025 Spring Season competition in April, and the Hammock Dunes Club had three teams competing: a beginner’s women’s team, an intermediate men’s team and an intermediate mixed team. This year, she said, the women’s team went all the way to state. “Not too bad for their first season,” she said. Over the last five years, pickleball has “taken off” in Flagler County, Rosato said, with her email list of regional players jumping from 40 to more than 150. Hammock Dunes Club is even planning on adding two additional pickleball courts, for a total of eight, to keep up with
Sandi Rosato, the Racquet & Sports director at Hammock Dunes Club. Image courtesy of Hammock Dunes Club Facebook
the interest. But pickleball isn’t just about the sport or competition for Rosato. She said the sport is a great way to find community among other players and organizations. People are able to jump in with little formal instruction and play, with their own families or with strangers. The great thing about pickleball, she said, is that “not everybody has to be competitive. Some people just want to play with their friends.” The FTPL spotlight credits Rosato for introducing Team Style Pickleball to the area and bringing Hammock Dunes into the league. “Sandi is known for her creative, energetic pickleball events,
her love of teaching beginners and strategizing with advanced players, and her passion for building camaraderie through team play,” the feature reads. The Hammock Dunes Club posted about Rosato’s FTPL feature, saying the racquet and sports director has “built more than just competition, it’s created confidence, connection, and camaraderie… one rally at a time!” “One of my members, when I started here, asked me if I thought it [pickleball] was a fad,” Rosato said. “I was like, no. I think it’s gonna be here for a long time.” Email sierra@observerlocalnews. com.
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