WORDS BY TIM PINNEGAR; PHOTOGRAPHY MARCUS LIM; ASSISTED BY McDOUGLAS LIM

Many of us had little idea what we wanted to do as a career at the age of 16. That was not the case for Dick Toh. 

As a teenager, he was already involved in his father’s business, Toh Eng Hock Construction (TEHC). In those early years, TEHC was a small sub-contractor working on landscaping projects for the National Parks Board. These projects fascinated the young man.

“Those early days at TEHC sparked a lifelong passion for shaping environments that people can enjoy and be proud of,” Dick says. “While many were still discovering their path at 16, I was already walking mine – alongside my father, learning the values of hard work, integrity, and the satisfaction of building something real.”

Dick took over the business from his father in 1990 and has since transformed TEHC from a local horticulture provider into a powerhouse in landscape contracting, golf course maintenance and construction, large-scale public beautification projects, and the supply of sand, chemicals, fertilizers and agronomy equipment.

ICONIC PROJECTS
Under Dick’s leadership, TEHC has played a major role in some of Singapore’s most iconic projects. Chief among them was the creation of the indoor garden at Jewel Changi Airport. This 21,000 sqm project involved planting 2,000 trees and 100,000 shrubs representing 120 species from around the world. No easy task, Dick explains, “It meant acclimatising many of these plants and shrubs in a nursery for two years before transplanting them.” This rigorous process exemplifies Dick’s business philosophy, “There can be no compromises of any kind in our work ethic.” 

When the Singapore National Stadium experienced serious issues with the turf on its pitch, it was TEHC they turned to for a solution. Other high-profile projects include landscaping at Bird Paradise and work on the Founders’ Memorial at Marina Bay. With these significant public tenders, the firm continues to cement its role in shaping Singapore’s green and national spaces. Dick jokingly refers to this contribution as “a form of national service.”

TEHC built most of Singapore’s top courses including Sentosa’s Serapong and Tampines at Tanah Merah Country Club. (Picture: Tampines, Hole 13)

Serapong Hole 6, 3 and 7.

MOVING INTO GOLF
While large government-backed projects still account for 60 per cent of TEHC’s business, a sizeable revenue stream now comes from its involvement in golf. In the early 1990s, under Dick’s leadership, TEHC won its first golf-related tender—landscaping the Tampines course and re-turfing the driving range at Tanah Merah Country Club. Smaller golf-related projects followed.

In 1999, the company secured a major project to help reconstruct the Serapong Course on Sentosa. This included reshaping two large lakes between holes 9 and 18, and 13 and 14. Next time your ball lands in one of these hazards you know who to blame.

TEHC continued to work at Sentosa and was involved in the renovation of the greens and the installation of the SubAir system at both the Serapong and Tanjong courses, as well as a major re-turfing of the Serapong Course. The firm has also been involved in a number of other course construction projects in Singapore, recently these included the New and Island courses at Singapore Island Country Club (SICC). Overseas, TEHC worked on the Laguna Lang Co Course in Vietnam and the Valley Course at Desaru in Malaysia.

While these one-off construction projects helped grow the business, many only lasted a year or two. Dick saw this as a risk to the firm’s long-term sustainability. In 2005, leveraging his growing expertise in golf course agronomy, he launched a golf course maintenance division. The first contract was for the newly built Marina Bay Golf Course, which TEHC managed with a 30-person team for nearly two decades. On the back of that success, TEHC now holds long-term maintenance contracts for the New Course at SICC, Orchid Country Club, Changi Golf Club, and Sembawang Country Club.

Asked how he learned the business, Dick recounts, “I developed my skills in golf course construction and maintenance by observing on site and self-teaching. By spending time around active construction sites, I closely observed how experienced professionals managed each stage—from excavation and shaping to drainage installation, sand capping, and grassing. 

“For maintenance, I built on what I had seen during construction by studying agronomy courses, reading reference materials, and watching videos. Gradually, I applied this knowledge in practice. This hands-on, self-guided approach not only taught me the technical aspects but also instilled the problem-solving abilities and attention to detail essential to both construction and maintenance work.”

With over 35 years at the helm of TEHC, what innovations has Dick seen in golf maintenance technology—both in science and equipment? “In the early days, mowing, watering, and fertilising were labour-intensive with basic machines and techniques. Today, advanced technologies have made everything more efficient—ride-on and robotic mowers, GPS-enabled sprayers, sensor-based irrigation systems, and turf health monitoring applications,” he explains. “Over years of maintaining courses, we’ve learned that different turf types require different regimes. Turf choice is crucial for long-term sustainability, especially in new builds.”

The integrated facilities at clubFACE represent’s Dick Toh’s vision of adding a new dimension to TEHC.

OFF TO THE RANGE
Dick is not one to settle for the status quo. Despite establishing a strong business in landscaping, golf course maintenance and construction, he recently ventured into building and running a driving range. Opened earlier this year in Joo Koon, Jurong, clubFACE is a new three-tier, 49-bay outdoor driving range equipped with an auto-tee system and Golfjoy tracer technology. Adjacent to the range is a full-sized 18-hole putting course—complete with dinosaurs—to appeal to both serious golfers and families alike.

To encourage group entertainment rather than solo practice, each bay features sofas and tables, and there’s an on-site cafe and bar offering a wide variety of food and beverages. Uniquely, pricing is by time (S$15 to S$25 per hour), not the number of balls hit. The range’s striking design also showcases Dick’s innovation and attention to detail. Artificial turf slopes gently to the centre, allowing for automatic ball collection. Red hollows act as target greens and collect balls efficiently with minimal manpower. 

So why branch into running a range? “Since more golf courses and ranges have closed due to government land repossession, I saw this as a business opportunity.” Time will tell if his bold move is right.

TIME OFF
For someone who spends most of his working hours outdoors, particularly on golf courses, you might expect Dick to avoid the game itself. Not so. With a 12.4 handicap and memberships at Sentosa and SICC, he plays at least once a week. Though he admits he often gets distracted during rounds, assessing landscaping ideas and course maintenance improvements along the way.

At home, Dick’s pet project is a large wall in his garden. He’s covered it in a felt material that allows plants to grow directly on the surface—eliminating the need for pots or hanging baskets. He also takes great pride in TEHC’s headquarters at Senoko Crescent, Sembawang. In an industrial area dominated by grey concrete, TEHC’s lush, green premises stand out—thanks largely to Dick’s touch.

Currently, he’s also helping a friend redesign a golf course in Taiwan. The brief? Redesign one hole per year. That should keep him busy for quite some time.

PERSEVERANCE PAYS OFF
From its humble beginnings in the early 1970s, TEHC has grown into a leader in landscaping, golf and sports turf, shaping some of Singapore’s most iconic green spaces. While Dick is too modest to say it himself, much of this success—especially in golf—can be credited to his vision and leadership.

“Building a business hasn’t been a straight path. From the start, I faced setbacks—financial challenges, slow growth, and unexpected obstacles. But through it all, perseverance kept me going. I’ve never given up. I adapted, I learned, and I held on to my faith that success would come. Over time, the results followed. Clients began to trust my work, partnerships grew, and the business took shape. Today, I know that perseverance is just as vital as any strategy or innovation. It’s what carries you through uncertainty and keeps the vision alive. 

“Perseverance isn’t just about not quitting—it’s about staying focused, trusting the process, and growing through every challenge. It’s the foundation of what I’ve built, and the key to what comes next.”