Although the XPS Group team is usually tasked with navigating the world of Professional Services, on September 29th, most of the office took the afternoon to engage in an equally mentally challenging task: Golf.
The team was celebrating Ru Beal’s successful 5 years at XPS Group as Ru is taking some time to travel abroad, adventuring across Australia and parts of Southeast Asia. XPS Group was fortunate to celebrate Ru’s tenure at Canada’s oldest 18-hole course, the Victoria Golf Club, courteously provided by Katie Bishop. Established in 1893, the course is home to some of Victoria’s most outstanding views and proved why it has been renowned by so many golfers over the last 100 years. The Par 70 course which overlooks the Strait of Juan de Fuca proved challenging; however, the Friday afternoon presented a wonderful chance for XPS’s 
members to enjoy some camaraderie, unwind and challenge themselves outside of their valuation-oriented routine. The team joined numerous other golfers on the sunny afternoon commencing at 2:00 pm.
After some challenging first tee shots, the crew began to warm up, navigating the expansive fairways and manicured greens, starting to find their groove. Tensions rose and fell with the undulations of the course, but there were no difficulties that some ice-cold beverages could not fix. Katie, Derek, Ru, and Noah all had moments of greatness – with a few pars, several bogeys, and the occasional birdie. At the turn, the team was treated with one of VGC’s many amenities, the snack shack. With refreshments and food in hand, they were invigorated for the final nine holes. 
Although the back nine proved no less challenging than the front, the team persevered stringing together some impressive holes, interrupted occasionally by multiple shouts of “Fore!”
The team closed out a solid round with dinner at VGC’s clubhouse, which provided the perfect backdrop for celebrating their successful day. The team toasted to Ru’s time at XPS and shared some fun stories about work and life. We would like to wish Ru all the best, and good luck in his travels abroad. The team used the opportunity to kick off the long weekend and rest before returning to another few weeks hard at work.