If you just started, then no need to purchase anything yet. Use these until you get a year or so under your belt playing.

Range balls can definatly play shorter then regular balls on the course. They will also have different trajectories, so trying to dial in a distance to a flag and green on the range might be a different then on the course. I usually do not worry too much about getting distances perfect, only alignments. The course is where I concentrate on practicing the distances.