Gary Golf is the in-game representation of the player. He is who runs the player through the initial mini-tutorial upon starting a new game. Everything about him can be customized if desired. As the player reaches milestones and completes challenges, his stats can be improved (in increments of 10%).
If the player is presented with a challenge from another golfer, Gary Golf becomes playable, to a point. The player can take his driver and iron shots, but not his wedge shots or putts (he does this automatically).