A GOLFER was recovering today after a terrifying attack on a course near York.

Geoff Moore, 48, from Acomb, told how thieves grabbed him round his neck, stole his clubs and threw him into a ditch at the Forest Park Golf Club, at Stockton-on-the-Forest at 11am on Monday.

He was playing on his own and was on the seventh hole when he hit his ball just off the fairway into the rough.

While searching for it he noticed two men walking down a public footpath leading from the A64 across the course.

Suddenly one grabbed him around his neck, and the other took the clubs, a £1,500 set of Galloway graphite shafts.

The man holding him shoved him into a nearby ditch, and the pair made off towards the A64.

Mr Moore followed, but he was hit again, and knocked off his feet on to a pile of rubble.

"I heard them walking up, but didn't think a second thing about it, then suddenly there they were on me," said Mr Moore.

"After the second attack I decided to let them go. I thought if I carry on I am going to get badly hurt. It was a very frightening attack, and came totally out of the blue."

Mr Moore alerted greens staff on a nearby hole, who called the head green keeper and carried out a search for the two men, but they could not be found.

They then took Mr Moore back to the clubhouse and reported the crime to the police.

"The staff were absolutely brilliant about the attack, they were really helpful and gave me so much help, so I would really like to thank them," he said.

The attack was described as "strange and unusual" by Sergeant Colin Ventress of York Police.

"It is the first attack of this type I have heard of, but it was a nasty one," he said.

The first man was a white male, 6ft tall, with a shaven head, dark top and blue jeans.

The second man was 5ft 9in tall, with long dark-brown hair.

Sgt Ventress said: "Anyone who might have seen anything, or who has been offered a set of Galloway clubs for sale should contact 01904 631321."

Updated: 10:44 Wednesday, June 16, 2004