Walking the Wild Atlantic Way

Nick Edmund started the first leg of his mammoth 2,000km walk at Malin Head on Saturday, and has played the fourth hole of both the old and Glashedy Links at Ballyliffin Golf Club. He is walking on behalf of his not for profit organisation Global Golf 4 Cancer, and will walk the length of the Wild Atlantic Way, playing the fourth hole at 40 golf courses along the route. Nick is walking the route with his golf clubs, and is raising money for Cancer Care West.

Speaking to the ‘Journal’ Nick said he is enjoying the experience. “Sunday was unbelievable. I have to say I received incredible support. Walking from Malin Head on Sunday, cyclists were stopping along the way and chatting, it was very motivating.”

Yesterday Nick walked from Ballyliffin to Buncrana via Clonmany, and he will play the fourth hole of the North West Golf Club at 10am today.

“I think the first 1,000km will be the toughest, especially the first three weeks. That’s why it was great to start in Inishowen and especially Ballyliffin,” he said.

Nick has had a long standing relationship with Ballyliffin Golf Club, having been a member there for the past 25 years.

“I have been a member since 1991. I brought Nick Faldo there in 1993, and I was helping with marketing for the club until the new Glashedy links opened. I was responsible for the logo of the club, and I also named the Glashedy and Old links there. I played my first fourth hole on the Old Links, and it was personally quite moving.

“The people of the Inishowen peninsula are unbelievably welcoming. It is the ideal place to start a global campaign,” he added.

When Nick had the initial idea for the walk in 2014, he was diagnosed with cancer. “The idea came about as both golf and cancer have no borders, so it could be a global idea.

“But life does that, it was ironic that I was diagnosed then. It drives me on,” he said.