Short-mat at the castle – bowls has fallen in love with the Bohemian Paradise

February 6–8, 2026, we took short-mat bowls out of the gyms and straight to the castle Hrubá Skála in the heart of the Cesky raj region—and we have to say, it fit in perfectly there. Thanks to Radek Zukal , instead of a regular bowls tournament, we experienced some fantastic days (and nights) filled with playing, eating, drinking, singing, dancing (for some), and relaxing (for everyone)...

We stayed in the castle’s rooms, where you almost expected to be woken up in the morning not by your cell phone, but by a valet. Add to that excellent food, wine, and other “fuel” for the players—simply short-mat in all-inclusive mode. On two short-mat carpets loaned by ProBowls (thank you!), an interesting singles tournament took place, and even though “it’s not about the results,” winners emerged:

1st place: Radek Fiala,

2nd place: Zuzana Skuhrovcová,

3rd place: Marek Šveda

Off the mats as well, the program was flawless—massages, an outdoor hot tub with a view of the rocks, and a special tour of the castle with the hotel director, who guided us from the cellars—home to colonies of bats—all the way up to the tower clock, which we even got to “wind up” ourselves.

To sum it up: one weekend, two mats, a group of great people, and a castle setting, which makes short-mat bowls look like a sport fit for kings.

And it’s no surprise that everyone is already looking forward to a repeat event, perhaps even with international participation....