We  now know the identity of the mystery man who took Britney  Spears out for a Valentine's Day dinner and played golf with her over  the weekend. He is ... a very normal guy.

His name is  David. He works for a law firm -- he's not a lawyer -- does "field  research" ... kind of a jack-of-all-trades. He's definitely not a wealthy  guy.

David -- who is 27 -- is from Atlanta and does not seem to have  significant roots in California. 

As for his relationship with  Britney ... we're told they met through friends. The pics (above) were taken at  the Sherwood Country Club where Britney lives. He's a big golfer and he's  teaching her the moves. Britney has actually taken a liking to golf and is  thinking about becoming a member of the country club.

As for the  Valentine's Day date, it was pretty quick. They were in and out of the sushi  joint in less than a half hour. The bill was $60. David tipped $13.