Madelyn Quinn, 11, tees off on The Plantation Course at Kapalua on Saturday while playing a round courtesy of the Round Of A Lifetime Foundation. The Maui News/Eli Pace

On Saturday, 11-year-old Madelyn Quinn teed off on The Plantation Course at Kapalua, fulfilling a dream made possible by the Round Of A Lifetime Foundation.

“You can’t write this any better,” said Greg Quinn, Madelyn’s father. “The weather is perfect. The hospitality is amazing. What Kapalua has done to host Madelyn and the family has been amazing. It just makes all those long hard nights in the hospital for the first couple years of her life just more enjoyable having this perspective to be out here. There’s so much good in the world, and we’re so lucky and blessed to be on the receiving end of this.”

Those long nights came after Madelyn received a life-saving heart transplant just before her second birthday and endured multiple open-heart surgeries in the years that followed.

Now an avid golfer who competes in the US Kids Golf World Championship each year, Madelyn’s story garnered widespread attention in 2023 when she was spotted holding up a sign on the sidelines at the Genesis Invitational golf tournament detailing three items on the young girl’s “bucket list.”

The first item on Madelyn’s list — “Get Heart Transplant” — already had a checkmark next to it when she took her sign to the invitational. Next up for the young golfer was “Meet Tiger Woods,” and Madelyn checked that one off after Woods got wind of the young golfer’s sign and made a point to introduce himself.

“It was really stoke,” Madelyn said of getting to meet the Hall of Fame golfer. “It was really fun meeting him and him giving me the glove.”

And Woods wasn’t the only one who was motivated to action by Madelyn’s story. Saturday’s round at Kapalua was made possible by the Round Of A Lifetime Foundation, which was established in 2010 in the memory of Andrew Maciey, who died from a congenital heart defect at age 24.

The foundation’s purpose is to give those suffering from congenital heart disease and their loved ones a chance to play an unforgettable all-expenses-paid round of golf at a world-class course.

“I am really stoked,” Madelyn said right before her tee time. “It looks really pretty. It surprised me that I get to play one of the top 100 courses, and I’m really pumped for the day.”

Madelyn was the 20th recipient for Round Of A Lifetime, and other honorees have played at Pebble Beach, Pinehurst No. 2, TPC Sawgrass and Carnoustie Golf Links in Scotland. For Madelyn, it marked a special day for her and her family, as she recalled growing up watching her father play golf and how she naturally gravitated to the sport.

“I had a club in my hand at 2 and I never stopped swinging,” Madelyn said.

As for Saturday’s round at Kapalua, she shot a 4-over par. She was four strokes over par after the front nine, and with birdies on No. 13 and 17, finished at an even par on the back nine.

“It went really well,” Madelyn said of her day on the course.

Her favorite hole, she said, was likely No. 13, where she hit a strong drive and followed it with a solid six-iron into a stiff wind, setting up a short birdie putt.

The family including her dad, mom and brother had dinner at Banyan Tree Kapalua after the round of golf and planned to relax on Maui for a few days before returning home. Overall, Madelyn said she had a great day.

“Yeah, I did,” Madelyn said. “It was really fun. It was really nice being with my family and being with dad on his birthday.”

In fact, Greg turned 46 years old on Saturday, and he said it was the best birthday of his life.

“I got to play an amazing course, I got to represent an incredible foundation, and I got to be with the three people I love more than anyone,” he said.

Madelyn Quinn and her family pose for a photo at Kapalua on Saturday before playing a round of golf on The Plantation Course, courtesy of the Round Of A Lifetime Foundation. The Maui News/Eli Pace

As for the island, Maddie also gave Maui a solid review.

“It’s very pretty. It’s very peaceful. I love the waves crashing,” Madelyn said. “It’s really fun to be out here on the island. The people are so nice.”

More than anything, Greg said he wants to thank the Round Of A Lifetime Foundation.

“To think Madelyn is the 20th honoree of this, where they’ve sent kids like Madelyn all over the world for a Round Of A Lifetime … these kids go through so much hard times in their life, I can’t say enough great things about Round Of A Lifetime, and a big thank you to them for what they do, what they’ve done for us and what they will continue to do,” he said.

The last item on Madelyn’s bucket list is to “Play Augusta,” and she said she hopes to compete in the Augusta National Women’s Amateur one day.