Playing "old school" golf by eye is a lost art but I feel like it's a great way to play. As you improve and play more competitively you will want to take advantage of technology to give you the greatest success. Using GPS and/or rangefinders has become the standard. There are not bad ones but the higher the price, the more features they have. Rangefinders are great on flat courses where line-of-sight is always there. Hilly courses with dogleg holes and blind shots will be a problem and GPS can be better in those situations. Having both is ideal and you can switch back and forth as needed. Also, if you play competitively in school or after, know the rules about rangefinders with slope feature. Good luck. I'm sure whatever you choose to use will be great.

Yes, accurate pin yardages are key.. Buy the best you can afford.

As you improve and get to know your game better, I think you will find that a rangefinder is far more vaulable than just pin yardages. Lay-ups, trees, bunkers, are all important landmarks on a course. Knowing that exact yards to the pin is great but knowing what it takes to clear a trap or water is just as valauble.
In the end, a rangefinder is valauble tool and I would highly recommend one.

Coming from a different skill level (higher end) even I find it more useful than just a GPS app if you play on courses with big greens. Go for the middle of the green is still probably the answer, but if your green is huge that could be a large difference. I’ve also found the laser really nice for specific distances 100 and in more so than longer distances.

I have a Bushnell and love it. Have gotten lazy over the years. Learned the old fashion way. Learned by reading the yardage on the sprinkler heads and walking it off. Guess over the years it kinda slowed down the game. What a great way to learn if you do it quietly and quickly. Bushnell is the best in my opinion.

I would recommend getting a range finder. I would check into Bushnell. I know they make awesome products.