Pros:
The area around Shady Oaks is dominated by 9 hole pitch and putt courses. Shady Oaks is 18 holes and has some decent distances, making it a favorite for the more serious players in the area. The majority of the area the park encompasses is a swampy area that is a detention basin for run off from the surrounding neighborhoods. It has some nice space, and one of the big selling points to disc golf is we can use "wasted" land that isn't good for anything else. This would be a classic example, as the land is really not appropriate for anything other than a walking path. Holes #1, #2 and #13 use a little elevation, otherwise the course is basically flat. Most of the holes are open (holes #1, #2 & # 13 are moderately wooded) but they offer a bit of distance. There are several shots in the 350'-400' range. The tee for # 1 is in an odd spot (the tee for # 2 is the easiest to find) but once you locate the first tee the course is relatively easy to follow.
Cons:
The tees are dirt and in poor condition. Given the swampy nature of most of the course, the tees are often muddy and footing is treacherous, making those longer holes even more difficult. The swamp does come into play in a few spots, so waterproof socks are a good idea here. The swamp is also home to a healthy bunch of mosquitoes, so bug spray is highly recommended. There are few trees and not a lot of elevation, so the holes start to get monotonous. Hole #15 is 700'+, but it is a classic example of "long for long's sake." The baskets are old and mostly have the shallow basket attachments. The basket on hole #14 is badly bent. A new set of baskets would be an definite improvement. The beat-up rusty baskets are in keeping with the overall look of the park; lots of garbage and broken glass laying around, battered tee signs, broken-up slat bridges and the overgrown look of the swamp make this park less than attractive. The baskets for # 3 and # 18 are pretty close together, and there has been a general confusion over which basket was for which hole when I have been there. One basket has no number and the other has the number torn off the front of the number plate. There is an "18" on the back of the number plate, but it looks like a "3" filled in with sharpie to read "18." At any rate, if that was the basket for #18 you have to walk in front of it to get from the # 3 basket to the # 4 tee.
Other Thoughts:
Because it is a detention basin for storm water run off, it floods pretty quickly in a hard rain. If you are there and it starts to rain heavily, you should run for the hills.
The Chicago area has very little in the way of good courses. Because of that, some lackluster courses are regarded very highly locally because they are the best that the area has. Shady Oaks would be one of those courses. Rated against the other nearby courses, Shady Oaks would have to be considered one of the best. Rated just on its own merits, it is far too flat and open to really be anything special. Add in the bad tees and bad baskets and it is a pretty disappointing course.
***UPDATE: It appears that concrete tees and new baskets have been installed since I last played the course.***
***Update Two - When I went back to Shady Oaks I was expecting to bump up my rating. I was under the impression that improved baskets and tees would make a big difference. In reality, it was more like lipstick on a pig. The course was still flat, open and swampy set in an ugly Water Reclamation District site masquerading as a park. There is a dedicated group that have done a lot of work on the course, and their efforts are appreciated and applauded. By raising the pins on #6 and #8, they are making an attempt to do something about the boring so-so golf this course has to offer. In the end, it's still boring so-so golf. It is still one of the best courses in the area, but that says more about how bad the courses in the area are.
When this was the closest course to my house I played it a lot. Probably 1/2 of the time I was so bored by the golf that I skipped #16-#17. It was just two more boring open shots, and you can just walk over to #18 from #15 and get out of there. Even now with concrete tees and new baskets, I had to force myself to pay #16-#17. Good courses make me wish I had time to play another round. This course makes me try to figure out how quickly I can get the Hell out of there. Even with the improvements, I can't raise my rating.***