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By Dave Lagarde
PGATOUR.com Correspondent

LAKESIDE, Calif. -- The tranquil scene and sounds at Barona Creek Golf Club early Tuesday morning were par for the course at a venue preparing to play host to the Nationwide Tour Championship.

A volunteer records a score at a Nationwide Tour event. The Tour relies on volunteers to perform many tasks -- and volunteers often sign up months in advance. A venue change can disrupt this important relationship. (WireImage)

The Cuyamaca hills provided a mauve backdrop as titanium and steel struck golf balls on the practice range. The whir of mowers manicuring fairways and greens resonated in the crisp, clear air. Squawking water fowl made the only ripples as they glided across on glass-like ponds. Emerald green was the predominant color of the day, save for the wheat-colored native grasses and stately oaks.

The scent hovering everywhere provided the only giveaway to the chaotic scene that defined this southern California area less than a week ago. Barona and its environs smelled faintly of a fireplace with the unmistakable essence of lingering smoke.

That was understandable considering the plethora of destructive wildfires that raged throughout San Diego County and southern California last week. Conditions were so extreme the PGA TOUR considered postponing or moving the Nationwide Tour's most prestigious event that begins Thursday and will feature 56 players in the 72-hole, no-cut event that offers the largest first-place check in history, $139,500.

The decision was made to stage the tournament late last week after consultation with various San Diego city and county officials. The area got a major break when the Santa Ana winds that fueled the infernos quelled and firefighters were able to get the fires under control.

The fires crept dangerously close to Barona Creek but the property, which includes a hotel, casino and convention and golf events centers, was spared. The only thing lost to the blaze was a small building on the reservation of the Barona Band of Mission Indians, who own Barona.

That was in contrast to four years ago when fires burned everything that wasn't green on the golf course.

"It rolled right through the property,'' Barona Creek Director of Golf Don King said of the previous fire. "But I believe the hotel and casino were spared because of all the lush grass. The fire literally burned right around them. But a lot of members of the tribe lost their homes. This whole area was devastated.''

The resort was closed from Sunday night until Saturday morning while the battle against the fires was waged. Wildcat Canyon Road, the only road into the resort, was closed for the same period. However, the 30 members of the Barona Creek's maintenance staff, including superintendent Sandy Clark, were allowed to drive into the property beginning Wednesday.

"We went into a serious scramble mode,'' King said. "The staff literally worked from sunup to sundown.''

Fairways had five days of growth, while the greens had not been trimmed in three days. And it was showing, King said.

"It made for a lot of grass clippings,'' he said. "But it held up well considering.''

Another major clean-up area was Barona Creek's 100-plus bunkers. They served as collection areas for leaves and debris moved by winds that gusted as high as 80 mph.

Meanwhile, the Barona Creek staff wasn't the only group scrambling. GOLF CHANNEL, which will televise all four days of the Nationwide Tour Championship, could not get its equipment on site. Equipment trucks traveling to Barona were told to go into holding pattern until the decision to stage the tournament at Barona was made.

"Basically, it was a minor inconvenience,'' said Lanny McKeegan, a technical manager for GOLF CHANNEL. "The trailers got here (Monday) and we're still waiting on land lines for telephones. But that's about it. Comparatively it was nothing.''

So all's well that ends well. The tournament will go on as area residents attempt to return to some semblance of normality. King looked at the event as something that will help the process for many.

"We're extremely happy the event is going to go on as scheduled," King said, pointing to the San Diego Chargers game against the Houston Oilers in San Diego last Sunday as another avenue that would provide some relief to the stress the fires produced.

"Like the game, we hope the tournament brings some positive energy back into the community as it starts the rebuilding process, and obviously offer some relief. We hope people will be able to get out of the house and come watch some good golf."