Thought I would paste Jay's comments previously this year, hope that's OK:
I played Shining Rock today. It had some nice elements, but was a brutal walk with two switchbacks. pluses were a great two-shot Redan and a Punchbowl. Minuses were the routing (too many short par-4s, and long par 3-s - shortest was 190), and the penal nature of the property. It's a good price too..$30-70 depending on tee time and season. Architecture heads will like CT Nat'l a lot, Shining Rock not so much, but it is cheap...especially for Boston area.
Nick, Yes it would be a brutal walk as I recall the front especially as being quite hilly. As to your questions I needed to go to the site to try to refresh my memory. That says a lot as recall is certainly one measure of the quality of a course. Anyway 8 is par 3 that goes back parallel with 7. 10 I believe is a bit of a walk from 9 and in that sense it secluded from the front. I don't recall the walk from 10 to 11.
Brad...while Shining Rock may not be my favorite it is certainly solid. Not in the same category of Cyprian Keyes, which is so extremely punitive, and one of my least favorite courses of all time. For example I recall CK being so over treed while SR is not. It is whacky on the front for the one stretch mentioned. I don't know that I would call it penal (such as the third at CK) but it is a difficult course. At the same time SR is worth a return visit and would not say the same about CK.