Cancer survivor Nick Edmund campaign to get the global golf community to ‘fly the flag’ and support cancer fighters worldwide hit the shores of Northern Ireland earlier this week.
In order to raise awareness of his ambitious ‘drive’, Edmund, a barrister and golf writer, who also managed Faldo Design for 15 years, plans to undertake a 250-mile walk from Lough Erne Resort to Royal County Down.
The trek, complete with a set of golf clubs over his shoulder, will see Nick play the 4th hole at 18 Northern Ireland courses as he literally ‘flies the flag’ for his Global-Golf4-Cancer charity. He was joined at the start of the walk by world-renowned golf photographer David Cannon.
“Through our distinctive Global-Golf4-Cancer ‘4-Flag’ and by encouraging golf clubs and event organisers to periodically fly this flag at the 4th hole of their courses we want to increase awareness and at the same time act as a catalyst for some imaginative fund raising opportunities,” said Edmund, who hopes the fact the 148th Open Championship is being played at Royal Portrush later this year will provide a fitting context for his awareness campaign.
Edmund launched the 4-Flag campaign on March 4th 2017 when he undertook a walk of almost 1,200 miles along the Wild Atlantic Way in Ireland, carrying a set of golf clubs. The immediate purpose of that – and each of his walking marathons – was to personally deliver a GG4C 4-Flag to each club after playing their 4th hole. The wider goal is to raise awareness within the global golfing community.
This month’s 250-mile walk is especially poignant for Edmund as he has vivid memories of how The Faldo course at Lough Erne was conceived over a casual conversation in Spain some 15 years ago.
“I recall well meeting the team that launched the Lough Erne Resort where they outlined their vision for a new golf course, and it’s been fabulous to see this vision being transformed into reality,” he said. “My history with Lough Erne was probably one of the key reasons why we chose to commence our walk around Northern Ireland from there – plus some of the scenery throughout the golf course is out of this world.”
The epic Northern Ireland walk will be the third in a series undertaken by the Global-Golf4-Cancer founder to promote the campaign. With almost 1,500 miles throughout the Wild Atlantic Way and Scotland already under his belt, Edmund plans to raise his flag on all six continents by the end of this year in pursuit of his global mission.
“People might think I’m a bit crazy taking on this walk so soon after completing the one in Scotland, but I’m so looking forward to taking our flag and its message to places like the Carrick a Rede Rope Bridge, The Dark Hedges, Belfast city centre, and crossing Lough Erne by water taxi. This is all about building awareness amongst the golfing community of the need to fight cancer and then acting as a catalyst for golfers to pick up the challenge and take fund raising action, for example, through special events.”
Nick teed off his Northern Ireland campaign by playing four holes at Lough Erne Resort on Saturday, where he handed over a GG4C flag and then travelled from the 5-star resort to Killadeas via water taxi to begin his walk, which will also take in visits to Royal County Down, Castlerock, Portstewart, Royal Portrush, Malone, Royal Belfast and Ardglass.
The picture above show Mark Ward (TRU Hospitality), Nick Edmund (Global-Golf4-Cancer) and Jeff Mahan (TRU Hospitality) at Lough Erne Resort’s 4th tee.