The tragedies, failures and scuttled plans that made the Augusta Masters

So many things needed to go wrong for the Masters to be so right - Civil War, the Great Depression, a destructive hurricane, a lost match and a minor snub. Scott Michaux explains

The18th green and clubhouse designed by architect Stanford White at Palmetto GC, Aiken, South Carolina. Picture: Fred Vuich/Sports Illustrated via Getty Images

Outside of architectural afficionados, most golf people have probably not even heard of Palmetto Golf Club. But the revered little 129-year-old club in Aiken, South Carolina, is one of the most important reasons why the famous golf course and tournament 20 miles down the road and across the river in Georgia is what it is today.

Augusta National Golf Club and the Masters Tournament owe a great deal of debt to Palmetto for its very existence, along with a host of tragedies, failures and scuttled plans that conspired to create what has become one of the most revered venues and events in the sports world – not to mention the richest.