It was meant to be a quiet game of golf for pensioner Alan Haley and his pals.

And when one of the group's shots soared close to some fellow golfers ahead on the second fairway, the player held up his hand as a gesture of apology.

But the wayward stroke ended in a heated row over golfing etiquette between the two groups of players and an appearance at Bradford Magistrates Court for tree surgeon Dean Bradley after he punched the pensioner.

Yesterday, father-of-four Bradley was found guilty of assaulting 65-year-old Mr Haley after the row boiled over at the Crow Nest Park Golf Course in Brighouse.

Bradley - described as a novice in the sport - was annoyed when he accused Mr Haley's three-strong group of breaking the rules of the game when they failed to shout 'fore' to warn him about a ball that he claimed missed his head by inches.

One of Mr Haley's group raised his hand to apologise, realising that 40-year-old Bradley and his golfing partner heard the ball land and looked back down the fairway.

Giving evidence in court two, Bradley said he needed to tell them that what they did was wrong and remonstrate with the man who had played the shot.

He claimed Mr Haley then became involved in the incident, told him to stop moaning and get on with his own game after his friend made the apology. Moments later, Bradley - who had been enjoying his first day as a member of the club - asked them what would have happened had the ball struck him on the head.

He claimed Mr Haley swore as he said he would have "felt it". At that point, Bradley said both of them "got face-to-face".

"He came right up to my face," Bradley said, "I pushed him away. I felt threatened to be honest. He took a couple of steps back. He came forward again. He raised his arms and I just punched out. I just lashed out because I thought he was going to do the same thing."

Bradley told the court: "I should not have to get into scrapes. That situation should not have happened. These three guys broke the rules of golf. I was very annoyed."

Mr Haley described how he was struck on the side of the face as he was turning away from Bradley and ended up on the floor. "I have never been knocked out before in my life. It was a split second," he said, "I thought I'd had a heart attack. Everything was black. I didn't understand what happened to me."

Magistrates adjourned the case for a pre-sentence report to be prepared. Bradley, of Burnley Road, Luddendenfoot, Halifax, was bailed to return to the court later this month.

After the case, Mr Haley said: "It is smashing that he has been found guilty. I just hope he gets a big sentence. I am not a young fellow, I'm reasonably fit, but you don't expect that on a golf course.

"I am just glad to put this behind me because my health has suffered over the last year and I'm now hoping things will get back to normal."

A spokesman for the golf club declined to comment.