Review: ROA Tournament Bag by FOSSA Disc Golf

Posted by mleefry

One of my favorite things about disc golf is witnessing innovation that comes along with a growing sport. Nothing makes me more optimistic about disc golf than listening to people like DGnomad founder Jeff Gradinger or Legends World Champion and founder of Hott Shotts Pete May as they discuss their creative ideas for making disc golf a household name. A few months ago, I had the pleasure of playing a round with Parker Asay, one of the dedicated idea guys behind FOSSA Disc Golf, a new LLC based out of Springfield, Mo. Southern Missouri may be a surprising home for disc golf growth. In addition to FOSSA, Springfield is home to the first ever disc golf course in Missouri, as well as Disc Golf Monkey, a retailer known mostly for their colorful and heavy-duty Monkey Trap baskets. The Journey Post shop and Treehouz course, home of the Journey Post First Stop, is located just south of Springfield.

Needless to say, it’s not surprising to see a product like the ROA Tournament Bag come from this area.

The ROA Tournament Bag is comparable to the Innova DISCarrier. It holds 25+ discs, has several pockets and three dividers for organized storage, and an end pocket for putters. The bag is made of 600D PVC coated nylon; for those like me who know nothing about textiles, this translates to “waterproof and super durable.”

This being my first opportunity to really review a disc golf bag, I was surprised at how detail-oriented Asay was. He pointed out to me how the seams were stitched in such a way to add to the bag’s durability. On the lowest part of the back of the ROA, there are Velcro loops to secure a golf umbrella. FOSSA’s website is serious when the claim is made that they’re “committed to making products that are perfect for the everyday golfer.” Throughout our round, he continued to ask for my feedback and the feedback from others on the course in order to improve the product.

Even the name of the bag is clever and shows their dedication to perfection. The company’s name, FOSSA, is the name of the cat-like top predator of Madagascar. “Roa” is the Malagasy word meaning “two,” because FOSSA’s initial bag design underwent so many improvements that this bag became the second.

Now, the part you’ve all been waiting for…let’s talk money. The FOSSA bag retails for $59.99. Yes, that is not a typo. Not a sale price. $59.99. For comparison, the Innova DISCarrier is $79.99 on their website.

But it takes more than price to determine if a product is the right fit. As fascinated as I am by the FOSSA bag, I know that it would not yet be the best bag for me. As a beginning disc golfer, I carry 13 discs on average, which only makes up half of the ROA Tournament Bag’s disc storage. In order for the bag to not sink in the middle, I had to add extra discs for the round. That being said, having too much storage is typically not an avid disc golfer’s problem. For anyone who carries enough discs and is not ready to make the financial commitment to a backpack bag (like the Grip A14, which runs $259), the ROA is definitely the way to go. I would also recommend upgrading the bag with backpack straps to add a little more comfort and support—I used the ROA strap for 9 holes and my Phoenix straps for the other 9 for the sake of testing both out.

For more information or to order the ROA Tournament Bag, check out FOSSA’s website http://fossadiscgolf.com, like them on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/fossadiscgolf, or ask your local disc golf retailer.