Sunfish
If approaching a normal length runway, I would be very uncomfortable if I did not have enough energy in the airframe to glide in from 500ft, in the landing configuration.
You might wish to consider thinking about BEagle's advice and then work with an instructor to develop and practice a profile that you feel will get you into the field comfortably.
In an Arrow, I'd be looking to pass 500ft at less than 1 mile from the threshold.
Flying into short runway is a different matter, you need to weigh up the risks and decide whether they are worth taking.
This is similar to flying a light twin out of short strips, you may have to accept a short period in time where you passively accept a risk event could happen (and evaluate the severity) or avoid the risk by not going there.