from an actual video of him taken from the golf course on approach he still had some altitude and seemed to be heading back to santa monica airport as he had requested to do so on a RT for an immediate return which ATC gave him clearance
its seems he could not make it back to the runway and the golf course was his option from what we can see with the 180 turn needed
heavy residential and streets is to one side of the runway threshold and golf course to the other