It's the season of goodwill. So let's be charitable and spare a thought for the much-maligned and oft-abused men and women who earn a paltry crust from lugging oversized golf bags around the golf courses of Asia.
To be sure, the lot of a caddie is, for the most part, a thankless one.
After all, they are the poor souls who have to put up with the violent mood swings that afflict fickle golfers of all abilities.
Confess. How often have you duffed a shot into the drink and turned in disgust to berate your caddie for proffering you the wrong club - even though, if you're honest with yourself, you know you can't hit two successive shots the same distance with the same club anyway? When you miss a four-footer, do you unleash a stream of invective in the direction of your caddie for failing to spot the line, even if you've ignored the well-meaning advice to aim left edge of the cup that they've volunteered in good faith? Conversely, on those rare but memorable occasions when you do pull off a masterstroke or snare a long, curling putt for bogey, do you take time out to credit your caddie for his/her contribution? Of course, there's no excuse for the type of churlish behaviour towards caddies that is frequently meted out by amateurs who claim to play golf for fun and relaxation.
It's a different story, however, in the professional game, where an incorrect yardage reading can be worth tens of thousands of dollars to the player.
Indeed, any top professional will confirm that a reliable caddie is worth his/her weight in gold. Not just as a bag-carrier who keeps the clubs clean and knows the exact distance on every shot, but also as a sounding board and a constant source of encouragement in what can be such a lonely, solitary game.