A man who was accused of striking a fellow golfer in the head with a sand wedge last summer pleaded guilty Friday to felony assault, getting 18 months of probation.
Donald Sauvageau, 58, of Fargo, was charged with aggravated assault after an Aug. 2 incident in which he hit a golfer with the wedge during a post-round argument in the parking lot of Rose Creek Golf Course.
The men had a disagreement about speed of play, as the golfer hit with the wedge was playing in front of Sauvageau's group.
In a Cass County District Court hearing Friday, Sauvageau pleaded guilty in a plea deal giving him a deferred imposition. That means the charge will come off his record if he is in no legal trouble while on probation. The aggravated assault charge carries a maximum prison sentence of five years.
Steve Light, the attorney for Sauvageau, said when his client was first charged that it was a clear case of self-defense. On Friday, Light said his client agreed to the plea because it's less risky than going to trial.
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"It was absolutely the best resolution we could have got," Light said.
Sauvageau will also pay about $1,100 in restitution to the victim, Light said.
