Pros:
The course at Shawnee State Park is in a very beautiful setting near the lake. It offers a rather quick round that you will most likely have all to yourself. I did play during a mid-week evening, though, so your experience may be different. As I pulled in, I was taken aback by how beautiful and peaceful of a setting this was. This is an ideal course to play if you just want to be out in nature and play disc golf without interruptions. There is plenty of parking space as you begin near the boat launch, with the first tee on top of the hill at the edge of the lot.
The course starts out with a fun, slightly downhill shot to a blind pin. There isn't much chance of landing in the water, but the possibility is there if you get too excited from the get go. Hole 2 is another water shot that tempts you to run at the basket with a spike hyzer, but with the chance of fading too far out into the water. These water holes are a nice balance of lower risk but still interesting enough. Which brings me to my next point: since it is a shorter course without too many variables to punish the player, this is a good course to take young people or beginners to. Recovery is fair if you miss your lines, but the water, elevation, and scattered trees provide enough obstacles to keep it interesting.
The elevation is nicely used, with downhill shots on 1, 4, 7, and 8 and uphill shots on 3 and 6. 8 offers another blind shot with a basket on a steep slope, while 1 and 9 have slopes on the sides of their fairways. These elevation changes help negate (somewhat) the shorter distances with shots that require accurate approaches on or near these hills.
Because of its ease of navigation, short holes, and lack of chances to lose discs, this makes for a very quick (~30 min) round.
The rubber tees were sufficiently long enough and comfortable and had a generic map of the hole on them that was good enough since you can usually see the pin from the tee anyways.
Cons:
Short holes. It lists white tees on the site but they were only temporarily marked with flags. There are only red tees now, with an average distance of 212 feet. You will not need your maximum distance drivers here.
I don't really like 7. It's such a short hole and extreme angle that I think you pretty much are forced to lay up at the bend. I guess you can throw a right-handed spike FH hyzer, but I just didn't think it was much of a realistic golf shot.
The course is very well maintained for the most part, but holes 6-8 had tall grass on it. Since they play on such a steep hill, I wonder how regularly that part gets mowed. Still completely playable though.
Other Thoughts:
I enjoyed myself at Shawnee State Park, mostly for the beauty that surrounds the course. While it is short and lacking a bit on challenge, I think it is well-suited for newer/more casual players and still provides some interesting challenges with the elevation and water that's present. Regardless of your skill level, it is worth stopping to play since it is a very quick round, close to the PA Turnpike, and in a great setting.
It was closed when I played, but be sure to check out the building near the boat launch. Apparently they have a good disc selection in there.