A PFL to 500' is useless - I'm always well below that before I realise I've screwed it up!
I always go as low as a can - usually well below 100'. I try to avoid fields with houses, people, animals, etc. in them, but sometimes it's not possible. I did once manage to scare a man who was out walkin his dog when I failed to notice him until I was about 50' above him
The dog didnt' seem too phased though!
Out of interest, was anyone else taught to do a forced landing with power for their PPL? My instructor taught me to fly a "circuit" at 500' to check the field's suitability, then fly another circuit, descending to 100' on final to check for hidden power cables etc, then climb to 500' for a final circuit to land. This is the technique I was taught to use for a forced landing if I get caught by bad weather, for example. We practiced it several times, always going down to 100' to "inspect the field". There were a few times that things on the ground (like power cables) only became visible well below 500'.
FFF
-----------------